She had slipped away from the settlement

Where in the distance she saw them at work

That daily struggle for survival

The smoke curling into the sky

The grunts and calls

Carried on the light breeze

She listened to the water in the brook

As it started its journey

And somewhere between the yearning for a different life

And the beauty of the stream the hills the sky

The first poem was born

Returning to the village

She withstood the looks and glares

The roars and mutters of disapproval

That she would have left her chores

But in the evening when they met

For eating and rough merriment

She chose her spot and said her piece

She gesticulated and mouthed the poem

That moved those hardened men and women to tears

©LawRouge