Poets and Bards - the Sequel

There are no doubt some rousing speeches out there. Churchill…

“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France,

 we shall fight on the seas and oceans,

 we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be,

 we shall fight on the beaches,

 we shall fight on the landing grounds,

 we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,

 we shall fight in the hills;

 we shall never surrender…”

And who can forget Mel Gibson in Braveheart?

“Run and you'll live -- at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!!!”

If we go back in the Bible to the story of Gideon, his speech has a different ring to it.

“Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.” Judges 7:3.  Two thirds of his force walk away.

Still stirred by the visit to Armadale Castle and the museum, I’m still caught up with the role of the poets and bards back then in the MacDonald clan – their task this time of rousing the warriors, stirring them up for battle.

Let’s get back to our imagined great clan meeting hall with the huge fire blasting our heat, wood spitting and smoke curling around the rafters. Let’s imagine this time that our visitor, the stranger, has listened to the poet praising his chief and chosen to stick with his first impression -that weak man, unable to muster a strong army. He’s done with counting the fighting men in the hall and decides to make his challenge.

What if two thirds of the fighting men think they are outnumbered and have little chance of victory?

The poet steps forward:-

Battle Cry

You reek of fear

The fear of man

The harm he brings

Because he can

You see yourself

Then him you see

Think “powerful him”

And “little me”

The battlefield

And war you dread

The blows that rain

Upon your head

The sword, the shield

Not lifted high

You flinch with

Every battle cry

Step back and see

Your greatest foe

The fear inside

That seeks to grow

You give it birth

And feed it lies

What starts so small

Grows in size

Now switch your gaze

And see your King

The one who rules

O’er everything

He speaks a word

And mountains quake

He owns the throne

That none can take

Your king strides forth

Across your world

His victory banner

Bold, unfurled

With angel armies

At His side

He fights and wins

And claims His bride

The king who heals

Who mends, restores

Leads us on to

Heaven’s shores

Conquerors all we

Plunder hell

What glorious tales

We have to tell