Tuesday, November 21, 2023
OLD MAN BY THE TRAIL - A POEM BY DONOVAN BALDWIN
An old man by the trail I'll lie,
Left behind, left here to die,
Left for obligation's sake,
It's duty's path that I must take.
Without me, has the tribe moved on
Not moved a bit, that I am gone,
Left behind with halt and blind,
Tribal rules can be unkind.
One of the tribe so many years,
No time is left for sorrow's tears,
I've learned how I am duty bound,
At last, to rest above the ground,
The ground they'll place me in at last,
When my final season's past,
If they come back at all this way,
Finding here my mortal clay.
So, dying by the trail I lie,
Left behind, left here to die,
Death easing, ending tribulation,
Discarding long held obligation.
I only ask the shaman chant,
A last death song that I can't.
I've sung for many at their last,
Someone sing when I have passed.
At last, in peace, I'll lie along,
The forest with its sweet bird song,
In death, rest will at last be found,
Beside the trail, on cold, hard ground.
The Earth is sacred, so they say,
My friend, I'll rest here for today,
Tomorrow's not within my view,
So today, I do what I must do.
If somewhere a spot I've earned,
Where love's accepted, never spurned,
Perhaps the gods will make a place,
For one who's run his final race.
A warrior for honor's sake,
Who never asked for more to take,
Than what the tribal rules allowed,
Who faced all others head unbowed.
This final task I'll do for all,
Answering one final call,
An old man by the trail I'll lie,
Left behind, left here to die,
- Copyright November 21, 2023 by Donovan Baldwin
Labels: death, donovan baldwin, poem, poetry, shaman, tribal
