once in all time
of time immemorial
back to the day
where day immaterial

beyond all of history
before there was story
even before
ever was something

first out of nothing
came number four
four was the number
no whys for why four

but first just this word
and the number of four
four was the number
word first begat

four is the number
we wonder why that
where each one
a number
of one before that

four was the first one
of all infinite
and four is the number
the word was octet

how odd it be even
where even not yet
but word was not heard
when word first begat

begot it was not
for time was not yet
for syntax
semantics
four was just it

four was sent forth
out of the dark
and something
from nothing
said

let it be quark

©2015, Marvin Welborn
25 June 2015