Paths III

It was such a beautiful sight
Winding through the bountiful fruit trees
On a wandering path of stone

Any thoughtful person would love it
That comfortable homey feeling
Of a peaceful untarnished Eden

But like Eden, a snake found the path
And whispered some convenient lies
Of injustice - discrimination

For this path, some could not follow
And jealousy becomes fertile ground
Where the lies of inequality grow

Everything had to be remade
So the disenfranchised could follow
The beauty of a wandering path

The stones were removed one by one
And great adjustments made things conform
Because the trees were so close, some fell

They dug the dirt beneath the stones
Surveyors and levels were in play
More trees fell by the end of the day

The weathered stones could no longer be used
They were too round, too irregular
Strict consistencies were to be enforced

The costs of the surveyors and levels
Along with the new design requirements
Became so very expensive

Eventually no more could be done
To the excavated lonely scar
Amongst the broken bones of the trees

Now, none follow a beautiful path
And in that, all have become equal
All can now suffer together

For the snake is a great liar
He separated the unequals
So there could be no helping hand

And that is all it would have taken
To help those who have not, become whole
And appreciate a beautiful winding path