The Statue in the Square

THE STATUE IN THE SQUARE

 

There is a statue in the square

Of some man from long ago.

Just how long it has been there

Is something we will never know.

 

He stands and gazes blindly

Across our little town

His expression is not kindly,

His face contorted in a frown.

 

On his head there is a hat

Of a sort not worn any more.

The heels of his boots are flat

As if he was too poor

To own boots with a higher heel

Of the sort to ride a horse.

Perhaps he was one of those born to kneel-

But we’ll never know for sure, of course.

 

The trousers that he wears

Are of a style from long ago.

There’s no sword or weapon that he bears

To hint that he ever struck a blow

In anger or for freedom or other sort of war.

So a soldier he was not, no warrior grand and bold.

So just what is this statue for?

What time-lost story has it told?

 

He wears a jacket, collar and tie-

Now perhaps that is a clue.

One hand in his pocket, one raised high,

Pointing vaguely at me-or you.

 

To the face our eyes are drawn.

To that frown and the wrinkled brow,

To eyes downcast and forlorn,

Is that a tear I saw just now?

 

The older folks say the statue once smiled

And warmly gazed all around.

So why does his face look so riled,

Why glares he so at our town?

 

Tis rumoured he once wrote words

That enthralled the people of his day.

But now he is just a perch for birds,

And has nothing more to say.

Reviews

[Gee]

I'm with Relic. A fine tale told in rhyming verse.

[Relic]

It's always nice to discover a gem from the past I never saw. I also like story poems and this was a good one with great rhymes.

[geoff m]

Thank you for your kind comment