We are only her because of the people we grow from and what we become depends on how we can reflect and learn about their ways.


One of England's Sons

I stand here on the rocky shore
One of England's sons
Of all the men who went before
Building Empire with the gun
Sailing south to Africaland
With seal of royal decree
To take your children by command
And work them over sea

We stole the youth of Africa
We sailed them far away
To feed the Yankee cotton mills
In new Americay

Did you know your granddad?
Did you sit upon his knee?
Did his stories make your heart glad?
Like mine has done for me?
Did you reach up and take his hand?
Did you laugh at tales he told?
About our green and pleasant land
And life in days of old

We stole the youth of Africa
We sailed them far away
To feed the Yankee cotton mills
In new Americay

We are the sons of glory
Built on the backs of greed
A fine and ancient story
We have everything we need
By might of hand imperial
We made this kingdom come
To be the great industrial
Island in the sun

We stole the youth of Africa
We sailed them far away
To feed the Yankee cotton mills
In new Americay

Are we too late to hear?
To turn the story round
To listen to the crying fear
To hear a people drown
What if we tried to talk again?
Find other words to say
That you and I we share the rain
For new life far away


We stole the youth of Africa
We sailed them far away
To feed the Yankee cotton mills
In new Americay




Poetry by Adrian Wood
Read 479 times
Written on 2012-02-18 at 23:35

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