ah Walt you heard them all singing
and now they are too weak to speak
they sit idle on their backsides
the carpenter and mason
only sing in the long line
waiting for a pittance in their hand
no longer singing their song

the boatmen no longer ply
the river to deliver goods
the shoemaker long replaced
by shiny machines born abroad
designed by fancy named
foreigners from far off lands

those searching for wealth
long ago reached the frontier
turned round and headed back
having found it but lost more
with no frontier to pursue

they settled in to build
a nation founded on hope
but built so quickly none
had the chance to hear history
they battled over the golden goose
and greed having won
sent it all abroad
trying to force freedom
where it wasn’t understood

they forgot the word
building fences for justice
not knowing that justice
had left on the last boat
that was still afloat

04/20/2009