My latest poem turned into a song early on.

[vickitulsa]

This happens a lot, almost more often than not.

I guess it's because I'm more of a songwriter than a poet, so that when I start "speaking" a new poem in my brain as it develops, a tune almost always materializes along with it, and voila! It's now a SONG, not just a POEM! :)

So here are the lyrics so far. I think it's almost done, actually, and too long of course, but still, I think it speaks to ... something ... in the hearts of many of us.

So I offer it here, FWIW. :hi:

~~~~~~~~~~~

What Will We Find?


What will we find on the day we begin
to search our own souls when we tire of the din
of the rockets and bombings -- and hate above all
-- a bitterness new to us, tasting of gall?

When mothers and fathers have wept every tear
as they bury the young ones who die every year
When someone so fed up with fear and with war
decides to stand up and say "This much, no more!"

Will others soon chime in, their courage now found?
when at last a true leader's clear voice is the sound
that they crave -- such a contrast to what went before!
(the calls for more death that our silence forebore)

The sickening rants from the ones who played games
with our lives, brands us traitors and smears our names
if we ignore them when they say we should cower
and bow to them waving from their ivory tower

What will we find after they are just bones
when the curtain is raised and their secrets are known?
What will we see that they left far behind
as they moved toward dominion in double-quick time?

Not one of them served in their own time and place
when a war raged abroad in a bloody disgrace
They dodged duty then with excuses galore
avoided the dangers, the pain and the gore

Yet these same men, thirty years later enthroned
by a court, not elections, came into their own
with great power in hand they enacted their plan
for the scale of their greed was decidedly grand

It was due to their failure to guard and protect
that the biggest blow struck us and hate came on deck
they had their attack now, the people were stunned
and rage held the day -- they would not be outgunned!

The volunteers lined up to fight for our home
not seeing we really were each on our own
we weren't being led, they just sparked a stampede
and all who opposed their war ceased feeling free

But what will we find after they are just bones
when the curtain is raised and their secrets are known?
What will we see that they left far behind
as they moved toward dominion in double-quick time?

So much came to light as the years of blood passed
their deceptions and tricks they denied to the last
their plan was well laid when they first took the reins
of a power so potent it brooked no one's shame

Though never elected, they ruled from on high
deciding which "traitors" and "foes" had to die
Their secrets had kept them from facing our wrath
-- the secrets that covered their lies in our path

They silenced the ones of us marching for peace
some died and some disappeared, others were fleeced
a few with a strong voice were hamstrung by smears
carefully crafted to last several years

The list when it's written some day down the line
of all that they hid, leaving only the signs
that should have forewarned us and frightened us too
but how could we fight it when none of us knew?

Yes what will we find after they are just bones
when the curtain is raised and their secrets are known?
What will we see that they left far behind
as they moved toward dominion in double-quick time?

The list will be long and quite stunning to all
when the cover is lifted and the light at last falls
on the secretive horrors they kept out of sight
They knew if we knew we would stand up and fight!

But someday their efforts to keep in the dark
the worst of their deeds out of evil so stark
that the shock of it stuns us with unwanted scenes
reminding the old ones of Treblinka's dreams

In secret the ones who misled us to war
defiled every soul kept behind their locked doors
Yet each of us too must be held to account
-- we did not want to know the IDs or amount

So we gave those we doubted we really could trust
the new laws they needed to leave in the dust
every threat to their safety and freedom -- now gone
no restraints on their treachery, we were all pawns

And what will we find after they are just bones
when the curtain is raised and their secrets are known?
What will we see that they left far behind
as they moved toward dominion in double-quick time?

It's a game they were playing, but deadly and vile
as those in "detention" forgot how to smile
when someday we find them but they cannot speak
will we cringe like the Germans who never did seek

to remove their own blindfolds? did we do that too?
Did we let it all happen, while buying their "news"?
It will all break someday, though -- truth will come out
How the world treats us then will we not think about?

And what will we find after they are just bones
when the curtain is raised and their secrets are known?
What will we see that they left far behind
as they moved toward dominion in double-quick time?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a brief note about what prompted me to write this one. I was watching a History Channel program about the shock the world felt when Allied troops first discovered the death camps of the Nazis, and I wondered what on earth we Americans might end up having to "explain" to the world sometime down the road when many of the secrets of the * administration are revealed in full....

Thanks for your time and patience, all of you! :loveya:

[qnr]

1. Interesting :) What becomes of the songs you write? n/t

[vickitulsa]

2. These days, I usually just sing them to friends.

In the past, a lot more might happen with them, including occasionally having one covered by another artist who was still performing. (No big hits though.)

Capitol Records bought a few of them a long time ago, but I think they put them in a drawer and forgot them! :)

Thanks for asking! :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear vickitulsa........

As promised, here I am.......

It's good, but as you say, a bit long.......

I wish I could here you sing it, though!

:yourock: