literature

We are Soldiers

Deviation Actions

The-Port-of-Riches's avatar
Published:
3.7K Views

Literature Text

A Poem by Isaac Thomas Riley.

Translated into English, from Migamjiolqua.

we were soldiers once.

heroes, running into the dark, reaching a hand to bring back hope.

we were heroes, once.

slaves to the system of oppression we sought to stamp out.

in bondage to machine minds and hearts.

we were regimented and dieted, sent into the dying light like cattle, ready for the sacrifice.

we were soldiers once.

and we laughed at the idea of freedom, the lonely aspiration of which we defended for others.

to defend their freedom is our sacrifice, when we should be living.

alongside those who we seek to defend.

yes, we were soldiers once.

and we still are.

defenders of the hopeless many, heroes to the warriors who look up at us.

we do not always carry weapons of war.

nor do we always do combat in fields of battle.

but make no mistake:

we are all soldiers.

reaching out a hand, for the hope that we all desire, and bringing back nothing.

brave men will fight and die, and still braver men will come.

leaders will rise and fall, and still greater leaders will rise up.

we are all soldiers, and our battle is inside of each one of us.

to fight and die, only few will ever reach the dream that is tranquility.

we are all soldiers.


Written originally in FLEX Fieldworks, a free language exploration software that I've been using for conlangs, this poem can be "dated" back to the early days of the Saokan peoples revolutionary movement to end the slave trade that had targeted them in their native lands. The poems were part of a massive, public relations campaign known as Quito vi patrisae, or "Bondage and suffering." the colonizing governor of the Saokan city of Daemi-Mondaez, fearing an uprising in the small city-state, allowed the poems, all written by former slaves, free-men and women and people wrongfully enslaved by the governor;  were put to writing by the son of the Quoltlani governor's king. Rito Oy'yolqua. At that time, the newspaper was the fastest way to get news by way of horse, to the people. And the campaign worked. In little over four years, the governor of the Saokan peoples requested the freedom of his colony from the control of Quoltlan, the governing superpower at the time, and they accepted it within ten years. Thirty years later, the Saokan peoples would endure a war for the liberation of their slaves - and their proper introduction to society - and the Saokan city-state wouldn't look back. Currently, the city-state is the size of France, with doozens of major cities in its belt, and over three million citizens, all free from bondage, in its control.

Why, you must be asking, am I introducing a poem about soldiers as my first induction in this PR campaign?
That's simple: 

The writer is asking us, the reader, to sort through the war within all of us, the prejudice and fighting; and find a reason to love one another. In their logic, we have more in common than we don't . Hence: we are soldiers in life.

Below, I'll put the original poem as written in FLEX, for your enjoyment. Be sure to message me, or comment if you want more poems! I've got two more already written. Flight, and Bondage. 

ORIGINAL POEM:

Written in Migamjiolqua using SIL FLEX.

Quei lua praetorae olqualae.

Primae jieratus enae na noitae, grapus a manib ae praeta rola spae.

Quei lua primae olqualae.

Quitorumus ae na raetium ex quitoram quei spaekatum ae pulvrum taes.

En quito ae ratus saprisae vi aminoae.

Quei lua legionatum vi magatum, misit enae na moraetis luxer taec peikut.

Banae quo na fichium.

Quei lua praetorae olqualae.

Vi quei risumitus ot na sapris ex yibaera, na solom montaez, ex eilu quei tectatum quo onotae.

Ae tecta nobiwis yibaera to quewis fichium, taeyoa quei ut vo vitaerum,

tesoratae hueito queti quei spaeka ae tecta.

Sitiam, quei lua praetorae olqualae.

Vi quei huk rex.

Tectatae ex na nonspae multis, primae ae na bestralorae queti spaekor quopis ot qui.

Quei at non ausaequei hapei armisae ex baelum.

Nonae at quei ausaequei at aestrum en lapier ex vaestrum.

Ad craet noz eroris.

Quei rex aus praetorae.

Grapus taes a manib, quo na spae quei aus desider, vi praetaris rola nul.

Fortim homis ris aestris vi morae, vi huk fortimas homis ris praenit.

Dictorae ris surjam vi sendam, vi huk majistrum dictorae ris surjam quopis.

Ae aestris vi morae, olhui quola ris aesi grapei na vilar natir to pachem.

Quei rex aus praetorae. 

© 2017 - 2024 The-Port-of-Riches
Comments0
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In