Friday 9 August 2013

The Ballad Of The Quiet Man


He said nothing, not a word ever passed his lips,
He just sat in the peace and quiet with a Mona Lisa smile,
One cold day the Angry People passed his way
All shouting about this and that and the other
They stopped and asked the quiet man if he was angry too
He said not a word and the Angry People liked that
“This man is so angry about this and that and the other, he is seething with rage”.
They shook his hand and on they went.

Then one summer’s evening the sad folks were passing by
They looked at the quiet man and then sat beside him
“This man is mourning, this man says nothing but the sadness shows upon his face”.
They wept beside the quiet man then walked on down the road

On an afternoon like any other, a stupid man was walking through as he was lost
He asked the quiet man the way to town and when he didn’t reply
The stupid man smiled and said, "I see you are as stupid as I am. ‘Tis better to say nothing and not look the fool.”
The stupid man wished his stupid brother well and continued to be lost.

Just before the start of autumn, some happy people were running and jumping
and came to rest next to the quiet man
“Look here,” one shouted .”This man is so happy that he smiles in his
contentment.”
And the people all cheered and carried him shoulder high down the lane
towards the town.
This happened to the quiet man more than he would have liked and once
again he had to walk all the way back home. 


bobby stevenson 2013

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