Wisdom of the ages, passed through generations From father to son, from mother to daughter A shared legacy of a people Their knowledge, their heritage, an ancient gift By voice or rune or paper passed Mankind's knowledge in words held fast Until the day when those words moved swiftly Burning bright, then fading to obscurity A weapon that cannot be wielded After today's sun has set A shield that brings us no safety In battles with tomorrow's foes How quick we are to forget the old ways Spurning the gifts of the past Wildly we embrace our fleeting power Seldomly knowing the cost Today's wisdom May never be known To those that follow in years to come Cursed to wander alone Or maybe they are blessed To prosper in innocence Which came at our expense Our downfall, our descent into impermanence