Crooked Bow

Lament was so excited He had finally reached the age Where he discovered the meaning Of his name, so that he could gage ....his future As the clan gathered Into a circle around the fire Tears of sorrow and grief Lined their faces, as he began to desire ....no name His "father" spoke a truth Nothing or no one wanted to hear "You were left in the woods After the battle, so we took you into our fear ...of the gods No child is to be left alone But you are not part of our clan We vowed to raise you Until this day, when you become a man ...of no land Your name means sorrow and grief And identifies you as a bastard child No matter where you go Your name will cause you rejection, like the wild ....animal without a home" Lament picked up his belongings And walked away with crooked bow on his back He finally understood the why Of his life, always needing, and constant lack ....of basic necessities Along his journey, he met a man A wanderer in the desert of time He gave him a huge bag of goods That would entertain, as he dealt with his mind ....of intense rage A few years down the road He met a woman with a red coat Who offered him wine for sorrow And a harp, to play out, note by note ...his grievances By the time Lament saw the next man He yelled out, "I can't carry anymore stuff!" The man, in patient assurance Asked, "So you have had enough ...of seeking your own?" Lament laid down his burden And walked away from all he had known For the hope of seeing fruit From the constant toil and struggle, in the seeds he'd sown ...throughout his journey After decades of walking with the man Lament was given a brand new name His name became Isaac Laughter, in sorrow, means he would never be the same ...bastard, as before He found out who his true father is He created the ground Isaac walked upon Every moment with with the man Strengthened and solidified, the eternal bond ...of belonging One day, the man asked Issac "Where is your bow that made you a man?" He answered, "It was crooked So I left it behind, with the clan ...who gave me my name" Toward the end of his life Isaac met a clan member on the road Who shouted out, "Lament" But Isaac didn't respond, to the name with a goad ...of rejection He walked on....fully accepted Written by Trudy Schrader on 04-20-2019