Long ago in the history of man
He was filled with fear and anger
And war with his neighbours
Was a constant need he thought
For his very survival.
And so it was.

Yet even then there were those
Who had no desire to kill
And oftentimes they were sacrificed as fools
For man was driven by an insatiable drive
To protect, to enlarge and to hoard.
And so it was.

And overtime man found many new ways
To invade and kill his neighbours
And rape women and steal their children
Often selling them to richer tribes
And thus was slavery begun.
And so it was.

Yet still the lonely voice in the wilderness
Cried out for an end to the slaughter
Until finally the voice was heard
And great swathes of history
Tell of peaceful times for all.
And so it was.

But man still felt his warlike need
To dominate the weak and small
And wars continued and yet still do
For man has never learned to quell
That savage rage within his breast.
And thus I fear, it shall remain.

©Joe Wilson – The history of man…2017