Another time, another place

So very long ago

Was so different, very strange

At the dawn of time, you know

-

The magic then, was ancient too

It from before time was

They say there was a voice all knew

Now called the Forgotten Tongue

-

To it all things did respond

From silent rock to human man

All creation when called, would come

And enjoy its presence, they did then

-

Yet something happened, I know not

The Creator went far away

Tiss said that man didn’t do as he ought

Thus to punish, it seems, He went away

-

If the story is the truth

A terrible curse it is indeed

For only with the Creator of me and you

Can there be true paradise, you see

-

But now a rumor’s spreading

Far and wide through the land

And I must now go trekking

To see if the promise has been fulfilled at last

-

We have legends that do tell

The Creator will send His only son

To build a bridge of His own body killed

Then the battle, at last, between good and evil will be won

-

Thus, I now go and seek

The truth behind our tales of old

Let’s kiss good-by my love, my own, though weak

When back I come, the Truth I’ll know

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Author’s Note: Before I say anything else, let me say, I had no idea what this poem would be when I first started writing it. I started with four words, “Another time, another place” and went on from there, one stanza at a time. I didn’t realize that it would be about a man seeking for The Truth until about half way into writing it, and I had no thought of having him speaking to his wife until the last stanza. Now, that being said, I do see some similarities with this poem and a book I read a week ago. The book is called “Peace Child” written by Don Richardson. It is a true story about the Sawi tribes people of New Guinea, and how Don Richardson was a missionary with his wife among these cannibals. One of the main conflicts of the book is Mr. Richardson’s struggle to communicate God’s gift of redemption to people who honored treachery above all other “virtues”. He tried to find a story from their culture that he could use as an allegory to the Gospel message. He was finally able to do this with the “peace child”.

My poem, though probably very unrealistic, is a similar story. A man recounts the legend of the creation story, and the fall of man. He realizes that the human kind needs God in their lives to be truly satisfied. He recounts the legend that someday through the sacrifice of the Creator’s son, man can come to God once again. He reminds his wife these things, all of which leads up to the rumor that the promise in the legend has been fulfilled. He tells her that he absolutely must go find out for himself if it is true.