Escapade
- Listen to me read this poem.
Thereupon a hill I see my savior
shining brighter than the sun
Casting holy light down
upon those who dwell
In the valley darkened
I am lifted up, my soul rejoices
With that light within me, I stand strong
Nothing can assail me
I grip the hilt of Truth and
bear the shield of Righteousness
Within the darkened valley
many beasts foul dwell
Spawned by the thoughts of folk
made by the one of Light
Amid this menagerie dark there is one darker
He who shall burn ever more
and all those who serve him
They hunt down the folk with only a glimmer of light
Those who shine like the sun they shield their eyes from
Like wolves, nabbing only the weakest sheep
And yet our flock loses its numbers
For we have wandered away from the shepherd
Glimpses now and there they say they have seen
A light upon a hill top
Others say it is the flaming one, playing with deception
Which way shall we go to escape the darkened valley
The sun amid the black clouds of smoke is setting
We must flee ‘ere nightfall
For the flaming one blazes with wrath
brightest when it is dark
We cannot afford to get torn apart
To separate would be folly
Uphill or along the valley?
Who knows what waits upon the heights?
Who knows what waits in the valley?
We are trapped by our blindness
We cannot see much in these dark clouds
They descend among us and cover us
Blindly we can only stumble
Hoping that no flaming one shall we meet
Only a few are still faithful
Their swords and shields they grip
Others have made swords spades
Shields cradles
Forgetting their true purpose
Truth rings out
The people cringe, then flee
Righteousness is a name feared
Flame seems fun
The flaming one laughs amid the darkness
Somewhere evil dwells
Or is it here?
Each must cleanse his blade
Making sure it is not black with blood of kin
For what has his hand slain when his eyes were diverted?
Can we no longer trust ourselves?
Our tongues slay many a heart
None can tame them
Our flock is breaking, separating
Darkness comes, the sun is nearly set!
Alas, for the people
Alas for they have walked into the valley
Now in the twilight, it is our duty
To bring out Truth
And to keep it out, fearing nothing
Upon which hill did the savior shine?
There we must go
No other path out of the valley is there
Not by the green’s back
Nor by the selling of the self
In truth we must trust
Slowly amid the darkening gloom
We trudge up the hill
Some scream with fear and run back into the valley
We cannot help them there
Halfway up, or as best as we can judge in the darkness
an attack is made upon us
beasts come in from all sides
luring away many with temptation
the flock is scattering, what can be done?
Our swords slam into the soil
The light suddenly shines!
Truth has been brought out and blinds the beasts
They drop their prey, our people, and run
But it is only a lull in the battle
We must run. We must get away before they return
Together we run up the hill,
Helping each other along the way
All now must have trust in faith
Or none shall ever reach the top
No one asks whether this is the right hill
For all know it better be
We trust in what we have beheld
We hold that we have seen clearly
We know that our judgment is right
Summit of the hill we reach
A gasp from all among us
There, atop the hill
a legion of beasts
and the flaming one
But we had faith we cry out
as we are assailed!
Why did you trust in yourselves
and not in Me we hear our savior
speak from above
Save us! we cry
Those who in their hearts doubt Him are slain first
But those who trust with their hearts
Suddenly vanish from the face of the battle
Saved by their faith.
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