1492

[Wotan]

*WARNING*
The poem which follows uses some NSFW, and quite racist language. However, the racial slurs are used in a very clear and obvious anti-racist context, and I would like the reader to keep this very firmly in mind as they read it.  I wrote this piece several years ago as a statement on the human tendency towards Kolonialist Kleptomania.  It's also a reasonably simple and pedestrian rhyme structure with nothing impressive about it, although I sometimes like to hide a second poem inside the main one (I'm not saying that this is one of those).

                         
          1492 - by Trevor Patrick (Wotan)

 
  In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
  A brave man was he, with three brave ships,
  And well-seasoned, adventurous crew.

  For riches and spices, the Queen's behest,
  And the power of Jesus, with which they were blessed,
  They set out with adventure in their Godly hearts,
  Relying on God's Heavens and their flat-earth charts,
  The power to change the world...

  For months, they sailed, afflicted with scurvy,
  Eating biscuits swarming with worms.
  The Nina and Pinta's crews losing their hearts,
  And Columbus allowing them to return.

  And finally a Gift from almighty Christ,
  San Salvador lay up ahead.
  Through disbelieving eyes, they beheld their prize,
  And reached where Glory had led.

  They greeted the heathen indians, savages all,
  And shared in the bounty they gave.
  The crew 'shared' the savage women,
  And shared European germs,
  With injuns they later enslaved.

  The world is a bigger, friendlier place,
  From the Godly efforts of Columbus and crew.
  We take what is ours, by Almighty Christ,
  It's what the Bible tells us to do.

  Now the smoke of our progress fills the skies of our lands,
  And concrete covers the earth,
  We've torn up the mountains for the riches below,
  For we know what this New World is worth.

  We have our money, drugs, sex and crime,
  And drunken, red niggers on reserves,
  We pray to Jesus and shake our heads,
  And say folks get what they deserve.

  But now, it's the problem of the chosen race,
  God seems to have left us behind.
  We sit and fester in the sins of our past,
  With no new worlds to find.

 

[Lady Serpent]

That last line really finishes it nicely.  The whole thing has a very straightforward, poweful message.  It leaves one with a bitter taste, which seems to be what was intended.

I wasn't able to catch a solid rhyme scheme (and I'm a sucker for rhythm), but it reads through fine.  Out loud, I'm not sure it's quite as smooth but it's decent as a written piece.  The only thing I noticed that could be fixed up is that there appears to be a missing 'a' in here:

The world is abigger, friendlier place

Keep writing; always good to read.  : )

[Wotan]

That was a typo.  Thanks for pointing that out.  (fixed)