"The time has come the Walrus said, to speak of many things..."

I'm not sure why the opening phrase from the Jabberwocky is so much in my head these days. As I recall, the Walrus was talking to the Oysters and the plan of the Walrus was to eat the unsuspecting Oysters.

But I recalled wrong, this is not the opening phrase of Jabberwocky. It is from the middle of a poem in Through the Looking Glass, which is also by Lewis Carroll. But, the gist of what was about to happen to the oysters—that I remembered. Makes me wonder, like in the Prego ads, “What other things do I recall wrong?”

            “The time has come.” The Walrus said, 

           “To talk of many things: of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax—

            Of cabbages—and kings—

            And why the sea is boiling hot—

           And whether pigs have wings.”

To some this poem is a serious critique of either religion or politics in the guise of a silly children’s poem. To others, it is just that—a silly children’s poem. But, one that turns a little dark at least for the cute little oysters with their clean little shoes on their non-existent feet. And when Alice tries to make a moral distinction between the Walrus and the Carpenter , she ends up deciding, "Well! They are both very unpleasant characters."

If men and women of good-will and sound minds can have so many different opinions about the meaning of a simple little poem written to entertain children, is it any wonder that we might have differences of opinion when the time has come to speak on more serious topics?

Now, was that Prego or Ragu and was it memories that were wrong or poor decisions that might have been made? And does it matter? Probably not! At least not in the cosmic scheme of things or even in most living rooms across this great country, but to some it would be a matter of great importance.

But as the Walrus said, “The time has come.” The Walrus said, “To talk of many things: of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax—Of cabbages—and kings—And why the sea is boiling hot—And whether pigs have wings.”

May we speak of many things, and think on many things, and hear many sides of many things. May we speak, think and hear with our minds, and our hearts as well as our eyes and our ears.

And, in the nature of our better angels,
     may our knowledge grow,
     may our insights deepen,
     may our wisdom mature,
as our compassion, sense of justice and mercy, and love of live for ourselves and all people overcomes the fear, anxiety and despair that clouds so many lives today.