A Tale of a Man and His Neighbor
By: Jerry Landry
October 3, 2001

A man is born, a man grows up,
A man encounters another man.
With this other man he doth sup,
And joyful merriment ensues.
If this were it, a tale in one cup
Would this be...if this were it.

The tale does go on, as all do,
As time passes for these neighbors,
Trouble begins to ensue.
One expressed the world in song,
On a canvas the other drew
The same world, in two different views.

The man turned against his neighbor
He said that he was completely wrong
He ignored him when he asked for a favor
Resentment grew within the hearts of both
Life had lost its sweet hearty flavor
And had been replaced by bitterness.

The easel was overturned,
The music notes were ripped,
The land in between was burned,
War had come to the neighbors.
For peace both men yearned,
Yet they knew not how to turn back.

Which man is right, and which is wrong?
Is it even a question of truth and falsehood?
Each man represents a cultural throng,
People who believe the truth they alone hold
Expressing the world through art and song
Are just different paths towards the same goal.

The man is a Jew,
The man is a Muslim,
The man is a Caucasian,
The man is a Negroid,
The man is a Heterosexual,
The man is a Homosexual,
The man is...what more needs to be said?

Return to Writings Index

Return to Main Menu

1