The Plageur

Scott Whitby, 2024

A fancy lady believes

if it's pretty then it's real

and she can have it

She can buy it or make a deal

And when she does,

and if it's not what she thought,

she'll just get something else

even better

A sign tells her "wrong way"

She ignores it

That's not what that means!

Says "depends on how ya' read it"

In time, there's a tree with

a greybird exclaiming:

"Be careful what you say!

Be careful what you are thinking!"

All this makes me think,

makes me question...then

I look at the horizon

over there where the sun settles

My spirit cries

that I left there, but I'm going back

On my way home I find friends

I hear the fog through the trees

and I see the things they say

about a fantasy for sale for free

I think about all this and wonder,

and I worry

Finally someone says

"If we all listen at once

with intent and if we are quiet,

the Plageur will tell us the answer"

Tomorrow will come

and be better if we wait

That greybird in the tree?

He's quiet now, no more to say

Now if you have doubts,

don't second guess

That's expected.  Stand by.

We'll fix this little mess

That lady?  She could go left or right

She may not have known

It doesn't matter, but

she could change the path she's on

I'm thinking about all this again,

I know you are

Hey lady!

Can't you see?  Isn't it clear?

Don't you know?

You can't buy your way from here!

We'll keep on pushing

late into the night,

far further than we

thought we could go but...

Damn!

That lady!

There she is again!

trying to lead the way

to all the pretty things

But if we look and listen hard,

finally, we understand

We'll make it to the setting sun,

where the shadows stain the land

...and that lady?

She could too

But she'll have to find her own way

just like the Plageur did