JOURNEY'S END


If I were free to roam in pastures greater than the confines of my mind
What wondrous sights would my eyes behold ?
In lands far afield where civilisation has not yet touched
On sun kissed paradise of sight and sound and spectacle
And peaceful tranquility of forgotten times
Amidst meandered valleys of turquoise foliage
Wildlife safe, unthreatened by man's unjust attentions
Fleet of foot and stalking prey, the lower food chain species
In silence, stealth and reverie
With patience and grace
Before the kill



If I could converse with warrior kings
Wise in manly pursuit, through victories harsh and bloody
The lines of foreheads forged from wisdom, survival of the fittest
On unforgiving soil demanding love and nurture
From midday sun and rainfall of a biblical proportion
Where crops are sparse and bony limbed tribesmen dwell
No need for possessions other than their inner pride, and spears
Where beliefs take precedence over material obsession
And honour once more exists in the hearts
Of brave souls


If I could travel to the very corners of the earth
Through vicious seas and angry winds of violent force
To a tranquil land where boats nor man doth journey
No gold to mine, no pearls to steal from nature's loving grasp
Mere solitude and mother Earth's rich bounty
Creatures rare and bright and dazzling in their splendour
Safe from capture, safe from fear
There, I'd find my home, my destiny, my calling
Away from mankind's boundaries of greed and mistrust
Away from hatred, fear and lust
To cleaner, purer, clearer thought's
Of life, and beauty, of simplicity and hope
Of living life in peace


If I could wake on sandy landscape
Protected from the envious, mistrusting eyes of man
Away from lies, deceit and treachery
Sheltered from the prodding, poking hands
In a world where rainfall cleanses me
Where shallow refuse counters shallow minds
And natures bounty offers sustenance
To a troubled heart viewed through through weary eyes
A tired, frail body seeking refuge of sorts
From a cynical world, full of hatred and lies


If I could live my dreams of plenty
To awake on distant, uncharted shores
Where complexity of faith no longer resides in evil thoughts
No damaged hearts, nor evil minds
Where nature rules me as the perfect host
She feeds my hunger, she tends my needs
And corruption lies within the tattered pages
Of a book from which I no longer read
I would take that offer with opened arms
And make that arduous journey over vicious seas
For the solitude of peaceful contemplation
For the beauty of the seed within me
For the clarity, for the peace
For me


Written by PAUL WILLIAMS