Beneath the blue skies, green trees and white clouds
Stands a young man, called, The Prince Of Stone,
With his hands stretched out towards the crowds
Upon that silver throne;
His head is slightly bent
His face is smiling kind
But the feeling of kingship soon went
And no joy will you find
When you see him smile upon you…
Smiling upon you like a ghost.
He is looked at with terror
For his face and hands are as shiny as a lake with the gleaming sun
But he is looked at wit horrid thoughts
“I shall never ever want to look upon him again.”
People pass, now and then, with looks of disgust upon their face
“He is not one of us. He is of no normal race,
for his face smiles like a half moon, and his eyes twinkle like sun-
so bright they are lit, and look eye to eye with everyone.”
Sometimes he darkens, sometimes he’s white,
So pale like a full moon, or so dark as the night.
With a tender loving face
He looks upon those who beg for peace
Yet those who cry aloud in pride
Are no importance with their fleece.
Some strangers say they see the Prince bow down in shame…
His head slightly bent, but his expression just the same.
Some say his mouth can shriek, and slowly his eyes can he close
But so many stories are told. As for the real, truth, no one knows-
Until one day a little bird chirped, as happy as can be
She flew about every building,
For then there everything could she see.
But none so tall as the Prince of Stone
She made a nest to stay.
But only a while did it last, only that one sunlit day.
For that night, a windy night, the bird slept in peace
Until a drop of water came, falling from the Prince.
The bird looked up, worn and surprised-
Why was he not a’sleeping? And closed were not his eyes?
Yet another drop fell, one-two-three-four
They came dropping down like rain,
Five-six-seven-eight-came more.
“My dear Prince, why do you weep?
The night is cool, the smell so sweet?
What unhappy thoughts can enter a mind?
I know I have none that I can find…” –
“I weep, dear bird, - I cannot see -
I am blind to everything, I cannot flee!
I am blind to all gentleness, love and truth.
I have lost my sight, my age, my youth.
Never again shall I be able to step forth
Into this world, it would have no worth.
I am useless and blind. Blind to all gentleness, love and truth.
I have lost my sight, my age, and my youth.”
At this the bird was moved.
Torn with pity for this Prince’s life!
It was gone and ruined!
“My dear Prince, how can you say-
that you have been blind, until this day?
Answer me this, how did it come?
Are you out of many? Or the only one…?”
“It pains me to say, dear bird, the truth-
for I have lost my sight, my age – my youth!
I was one who lived with and on gold.
Something was bought, eyed, or sold.
Never once did I think of love,
Never taking the chance to watch the peaceful clouds above,
And yet, here I am, unable to understand truth,
For I have lost my sight, my age – my youth!
Never again shall I be able to step forth
In to this world, it would have no worth.
I am useless and blind,
With no virtue now to find.”
And so the bird sat there, listening intently to the Prince’s story
Telling the meaning of gentleness, truth and glory,
Until her weary eyes gave in, and sleep she fell into
Until morning came and the sun began to rise,
And she spreads her wings in the air and flies
Around the Prince’s crown of stone sitting upon his head
“What a lovely morning it is, dear prince!” She flew about and said.
But the Prince made no reply that dawn; he only stood there and smiled,
For the sun gleamed down upon his face, and his body of stone had shined.