Heather Alexander: Wooden Toy Sword

Oh a father and son, they were bonded as one
But the heart of the family soon tore
For out sounded the call, to one and to all
That the king and the land went to war

Oh, the laddie he cried, but his father denied
To bring the young soldier along
"For your might I award this wooden toy sword
And I charge you to carry this song"

Won't you come and wait for me at the gate
With your wooden toy sword in your hand?
It is then I will come with the beat of the drum
From defending my king and my land

So the father, he taught his son as he ought
To defend both his hearth and his home
But soon came the day that his Da went away
Across the wild horses of foam

He practiced 'til night with skill and with might
To learn how to fight for a king
and he'd shun other boys with their useless new toys
And he'd whistle a song and he'd sing

Oh the years slowly turned, broad shoulders grew burned
Fine hair lengthened to a proud mane
In the middle of spring with a fell practice swing
The toy sword had broken in twain

The break caused him harm, as the wood pierced his arm
And the blood flowed quite free to the ground
As his vision grew dim the wind mourned out a hymn
That echoed these words round and round

Though the day had grown late the young man went to wait
And unsteadily gazed at the sky
As the red sun sank low, it soon caused him to know
That his last day of childhood would die

The stars swam across the night sky with his loss
And his father appeared in that sea
And the drum of his heart nearly broke him apart
As he fell to the ground on one knee

For he'd come to wait for his Da at the gate
With a broken toy sword in his hand
From beyond death he'll come with the beat of love's drum
To honour his son and his land