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Comment by Pam Vredenburg on February 4, 2012 at 3:31am

 Dec 2, 2008

Ferron's classic in a new context:

It Won't Take Long

They said some men would be warriors
and some men would be kings
And some men would be owners of land
and other man-made things
And false love as the eternal flame 
would move some to think in rings
And gold would be our power 
and other foolish things.

But you who dream of liberty 
must not yourselves be fooled.
Before you get to plea for freedom,
you have agreed to be ruled.
If the body stays a shackle
then the mind remains a chain.
That'll link you to a destiny
wherby all good souls are slain.

And it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say
"What has that got to do with me?"
and I say "You mean to tell me that's all?"

Of three men in a desert wandering, 
one is knowing and two are scared.
They say time is in the river,
but the river is not there.
Dry in spirit dry in body 
two will lend themselves to death
And in grief one weeps into his hands
and drinks his bitter tears.

'Cause it don't take long, 
it don't take too long at all,
It don't take long, and you may say,
"I don't know what you're talking about,"
and I say "You mean to tell me that's all?"

And as I stand before you now,
I am hopeful in my rage.
You know love has finally called for me,
I will not wilt upon its stage.
But still smaller than my nightmare
do I print upon the page.
Do we have to live inside its walls 
to identify the cage?

'Cause it takes so long, 
why does it take so long,
But it takes so long, and you may say,
"I don't really care what you're talking about,"
and I say, "Are you trying to say you don't belong?"

I am my mother's daughter, 
but I have seen myself in you.
It's this blessing that I follow now,
and so I must speak true.
I dreamed of thousands dying,
it was you and you and you,
And while the city sleeps so quietly
there is something we must do.

And it wont' take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't know if I wanna know what you're getting at,"
and it makes me wanna say, "So long."

Because grief will come in measures,
only grief alone will know
And you'll see it on your family,
on your own face it will grow
And they'll try to keep you hungry,
then they'll tell you to eat snow.
You know pride can be a moving thing
if we learn the strength of "NO!"

And it won't take long, 
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't think this has anything to do with me,"
"But did you ever think you could be wrong?"

At noon on one day coming, 
human strength will fill the streets
Of every city on our planet,
hear the sound of angry feet
With business freezed up in the harbour,
the kings will pull upon their hair
And the banks will shudder to a halt,
and the artists will be there.

'Cause it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't think I can be a part of that,"
and it makes me want to say,
"Don't you want to see yourself that strong?"

Division between the peoples 
will disappear that honoured day
And though oceans lie between us, 
lifted candles light the way
Half will join their hands by moonlight,
the rest under a rising sun.
As underneath the sun and moon,
a ritual'd wailing has begun.

Comment by Pam Vredenburg on February 4, 2012 at 3:30am

And it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't know how to be a part of what you're talking about,"
and it makes me want to say, "Come on!"

And beware you sagging diplomats,
for you will not hear one gun
And though our homes be torn 
and ransacked we will not be undone
For as we let ourselves be bought,
we're gonna let ourselves be free
And if you think we stand alone, 
look again and you will see:

We are children in the rafters,
We are babies in the park,
We are lovers at the movies,
We are candles in the dark,
We are changes in the weather,
We are snowflakes in July,
We are women grown together,
We are men who easily cry,
We are words not quickly spoken,
We're the deeper side of try,
We are dreamers in the making, 
We are not afraid of "Why?"