If I was the king of the forest…
If I was the king of the forest.
A Poem by Coyote Poetry
Old memories and old dreams.
American Soldiers drinking with boisterous and loud German women and men in a guesthouse. Celebrating the May festival in Stuttgart in 1978.
Drinking the cognac and good beer.
One of the German men yelled “A toast and a song.”
He ordered a round of cognac for the table.
He raised his cup and spoke. “To peace and no more war.”
He begin to sing. ” If I was the King of the forest. I would have only friends. I would have no hunger and the people would dance and celebrate being alive.
Guns would be forgotten. War would because a myth.
If I was the king of the forest. People would not live with fear. All races and religion would be content. Murder and death forgotten. This would be my wish. If I was the king of the forest.”
He told us. “Toast to peace and utopia. I pray one day will come.”
I left my celebrating friends. I wrote a poem.
If I was the king of the forest.
If I was the king of the forest. Wishes would become true.
I close my eyes.
Allowing my mind to travel to a summer day when youth was my wealth.
King of the forest.
When I was unstoppable and all dreams were in reach.
If I could.
Be able to close my eyes. Again be unafraid.
For when I close my eyes.
I don’t remember the victories.
I feel the burden of mistakes only.
If I was the King of the forest.
Love would be forever.
Love would be my only desire.
For if I was King of the forest.
No-one could stop me from saving the world from the hunger
to destroy all things that are beautiful.
For If I was the king.
I would teach the child to love and to have great dreams.
I would erase thousand years of war and hate.
For if.
I could take away all the blood upon each hands,
maybe we could walk unafraid of other.
The King, I shall be.
Only in set-up dreams.
For my world is like a wild beast,
running toward death.
And I the King.
Can watch as drugs and alcohol steal all the hope and dreams of youth.
Rich men leading the world to a self-suicide.
Bringing death and wounds to the young people learning to live.
I.
Will stand and watch.
For only in dreams shall I find the strength to battle.
For the words of the King.
Cannot be heard through the scream of the suffering.
Coyote
1978/re-write 2013
Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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Thank you my friend. One of my oldest poem I have written.
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John, I think this is a typo, “If I was the kind of the forest” – that kind should be king?
Why do you feel the burden of mistakes? There is no time machine. We can not rectify the mistakes of the past. If you can change even a single heart from what you learnt from the past, if every one can change a single heart against the futility of war, won’t it be great. We may still see the Utopia that German man was toasting to long ago.
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Old British song, we love to sing when the booze was strong. Was Germans and Americans in 1977, seeing the world falling apart. I appreciate the comment.
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You are welcome.
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Thank you for the help my friend.
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What’s a friend for🙂
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Love this : the words of the King cannot be heard through the scream of the suffering.’
Enjoyed this poem. 🤗
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A old English song. If I was the king of the forest. The German soldiers loved the song. I added a few words and thank you Kendi for reading and the comment.
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