The Golden Frog
Jessica Lawrence
What will we say
to Ruth or Stephen
when they ask about the
creature who lived
in lush and verdant Eden;
the creature with the golden
wave that human beings
would not save?
Do we say instead
of stopping his destruction
we chose to hasten his
extinction?
And blotted out
from amongst
our midst the
golden frog whose
wrist would twist? The frog
who talked in semaphore,
some say a sacred metaphor.
And instead upon his rock he sits
he’s become an idol on a stick
and instead of bathing in his brook
the frog’s consigned to history books.
As he courted his Juliet
we stabbed him with a bayonet
and like a calf lassoed
at a Rodeo, we crushed
the golden Romeo.
Cast out of life, cast out of Eden
so shall inherit Ruth and
Stephen, a world bereft of
the golden wave, the frog that
people would not save.
But they will read in
Shock and Awe about the
terrors that were unleashed and
read the politicians speech,
to justify a city bombed
under cover of early night that lit
the sky with golden light.
The despatch of
ten thousand soldiers
to make a country burn
and smoulder.
But we would not save
the Golden Frog
who sat upon his
little rock and
signalled with his graceful hand
that upon his rock he’d make a stand
and like a balletic marionette
not by killing Montague or Capulet
he romanced his Juliet
with just a gentle turn of wrist
never jabbing hand or fist.
Oh what a tale of abject woe
to make extinct this Romeo
who never offended man or G-d
in mosque or church or synagogue.
Cast out of life, cast out of Eden
shall inherit Ruth and Stephen
a world bereft of the golden wave
the creature people would not save.
What will we say
to Ruth or Stephen
when they ask about the
creature who lived
in lush and verdant Eden;
the creature with the golden
wave that human beings
would not save?
Do we say instead
of stopping his destruction
we chose to hasten his
extinction?
And blotted out
from amongst
our midst the
golden frog whose
wrist would twist? The frog
who talked in semaphore,
some say a sacred metaphor.
And instead upon his rock he sits
he’s become an idol on a stick
and instead of bathing in his brook
the frog’s consigned to history books.
As he courted his Juliet
we stabbed him with a bayonet
and like a calf lassoed
at a Rodeo, we crushed
the golden Romeo.
Cast out of life, cast out of Eden
so shall inherit Ruth and
Stephen, a world bereft of
the golden wave, the frog that
people would not save.
But they will read in
Shock and Awe about the
terrors that were unleashed and
read the politicians speech,
to justify a city bombed
under cover of early night that lit
the sky with golden light.
The despatch of
ten thousand soldiers
to make a country burn
and smoulder.
But we would not save
the Golden Frog
who sat upon his
little rock and
signalled with his graceful hand
that upon his rock he’d make a stand
and like a balletic marionette
not by killing Montague or Capulet
he romanced his Juliet
with just a gentle turn of wrist
never jabbing hand or fist.
Oh what a tale of abject woe
to make extinct this Romeo
who never offended man or G-d
in mosque or church or synagogue.
Cast out of life, cast out of Eden
shall inherit Ruth and Stephen
a world bereft of the golden wave
the creature people would not save.