Wednesday 18 April 2012

Day 18 Paeon of People


I remember I was smaller and the corn from me was taller  
I would wander through the yellow of those fields of endless dreams.
Then, the land bought forth its plenty so the people never wanted.
And my childhood I remember was as easy as could be.

For our tribe it was the strongest and our elders were they wisest.
And the women and the menfolk lived as equals by the sea.
Taking turns to make decisions, taking turns to plough the land,
herding animals of burden, helping people by the hand.

I grew older, it grew colder and the winters lasted longer.
No more wandering through the cornfields, no more summers full of clover.
Until one year crops were failing and our lives were turned to hunger.
and we fed upon the beasties who had helped us sow the land.

So that next year none were standing and the hunger grew much stronger.
Out to gather food we wandered, out beyond the cliffs and rivers.
And we lived on nuts and berries and we lived on fish and critters.
Thus our life became the harder as we struggled to provide.

And the young men and the children grew in stages full of anger,
and they fought amongst each other and they fought with other tribes.
And they said that all the women had to stay home with the children
for they could not fight as strongly and they could not work the mines.

And we old ones knew no longer how to show them to live softly
For they only knew the hunger and the struggle to survive.
And they turned to us their elders who had lived a hundred seasons
and they said we were a burden and to keep us had no reason.

By Apollo by Athena I will give them plenty reason.
They'll regret their bad decision I will leave them high and dry.
I will gather all the children I will gather all the women
I will take a few who'll listen and  will lead them to new lives.

There's a boat out on the harbour, there's another four beside it,
I will take all five together I will leave them none behind.
I will plan all this in secret, it'll give them a surprise.
And will make them think quite strongly of the error of their minds.

And that time arrived quite quickly and the boats were well supplied
and we set off in the darkness and we sailed into the night.
And they never saw it coming when they woke to find us gone
and they tore out at their hair when they knew that they were wrong.

For five days we sailed the ocean till we saw a floating tree,
so we knew that there was land nearby. The shore was spotted soon.
This new island we discovered would be perfect for our needs.
There was forest, there was livestock, there was flatness for the fields.

I admit I had considered leaving those we'd left behind,
to their fates and to their fighting, and to wondering where we'd gone.
But i think they'd learnt their lesson and the tribe needed uniting.
So I took the ship the largest, and returned to bring them on.

But of course on precondition that all folk be treated equal
and its not on the condition this just happens when life's good.
For in hardship and in hunger there's more cause to work together
World will throw us joy and sorrow and we needs treat them the same.

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