THE KINGDOM

Nick Marx

“Go lightly on your journey. Leave no footprints in the sand.

The path that you are treading is on someone else’s land.

There’s no problem with your presence. Glad to have you passing through.

Please take comfort on your journey, and I’m sure you’ll love the view.

Take nourishment and shelter, but use only what you need,

Do be gentle with the creatures and don’t fell too many trees.

There is all that you could want here, on the land, in woods and streams,

But be careful on your travels, it’s more fragile than it seems.

There are many gone before you who have caused no small distress,

Though it’s someone else’s property they’ve left a fearful mess. 

The damage that they do could maybe soon obscure the sun – 

And I’ve heard the birds and beasts are now all leaving one by one.

It isn’t theirs to vandalise – nor yours – so please take care

On your journey through a property so plentiful and fair.

You ask me where you travel, and the name we give this land?

We know it as “The Earth”. It’s all we have, please understand.

Now you want to know the Landlords, those you feel you ought to warn?

We all journey through The Kingdom of the Young Ones Not Yet Born.”