The Canary and the Gold Mine    
by Anders K.

In a hazy, distant past a goldmine was found
It held the vast promise of flourishing abound
A circular history could now be escaped
A blessing, yes; but tragedy it came so late

Its ethos: "Life can transcend a zero-sum game
if you abandon certitude, the need to tame
if you courageously accept some growing pain
you gain the power to understand and explain

If you resist the impulse to numbly stand still
And pledge to move forward with strong intent and will
The human mind can then do what you deem divine
It's up to you, this is a conditional shrine"

The mine's opening first appeared transitory
Inklings of growth cancelled by typical folly
Yet, it slowly became clear that there was a key
In the curious form of a frail canary

With the most beautiful voice it sang from its beak:
"You must defend the right to freely think and speak
The only topic requiring total silence
Is speech that inflames physical violence"

The wisdom of the canary spread far and wide
The growing snowball of knowledge began to slide
Ideas were formed and then error-corrected
Constantly improving, but never perfected

Full certainty was recognized as delusion
Thus: potential exists in endless profusion
The canaries' song gradually became law
Optimism compounded, most people were in awe

Yet the canaries' song was unruly to some
Clearly, espousers of dogma wished it undone
And it was prone to timeless hypocrisy:
"I support it 'till the person in power is me"

And further challenged by fatal, good intentions:
"I support it with just tiny interventions:
Let's prohibit slander and disinformation
to bolster the canaries’ superb creation"

A tantalizing, but toxic proposition
Seemingly harmless, but beware the ignition
Observe and you will find the impact of these laws
is tyranny masquerading as a good cause

I told you the canary is prone to decay
Corrupt its conception and it withers away
We must protect it from even the slightest cut
Or find the entrance to the goldmine to be shut

Inspiration:
Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch
Free Speech by Jacob Mchangama