THE KING AND I

                             Daniel 2





















THE SANDS OF TIME BLOW IN THE WIND
AS HISTORY PAST TELLS OF ITS FLIGHT
THROUGH LIFE'S SHORT COURSE AROUND EACH BEND
WITH CONQUERED NATION'S TRAGIC END.

THE GARDEN SCENE WHERE LOVE WAS BORN
AND PEACE REVEALED ITS SPECIAL ROLE
BECAME THE PLACE WHERE SATAN'S CHARM
BROUGHT SIN WITH DEATH'S DEFYING HARM.

THE HIGHEST PEAK ON BABEL'S CREST
WHERE PRIDEFUL MAN SOUGHT TO BE GODS
BECAME THE PLACE WHERE SIN'S DREAD CURSE
WAS SPREAD TO EVERY MAN ON EARTH.

THE STORY LATER FILLED EARTH'S SCENE
AS BABYLON GREW TO RULE THE WORLD
AND SHINAR'S BEAUTY FILLED THE LAND
WHERE CONQUERED JUDAH MADE ITS STAND.

AMONG THOSE CAPTIVES THERE WERE FOUR
WHOSE LIVES REFLECTED YAHWEH'S PLAN
AS DANIEL TOOK THE PROPHET'S STAFF
REVEALING NATION'S DOWNWARD PATH.

ONE NIGHT ITS KING WOKE WITH A START
A DREAM DISTURBED HIS THOUGHTS THAT DAY
A ROBOT-LOOKING MAN STOOD NEAR
ITS METAL FRAME BROUGHT WORLD-WIDE FEAR.

THE PALACE WISEMEN WERE CALLED IN
TO GIVE A MEANING TO HIS DREAM
BUT ONLY DANIEL'S WORDS EXPLAINED
THE BOUNDARY LINES EACH PART CONTAINED.

FOUR BASIC METALS COULD BE SEEN
AS HISTORY MARCHED THROUGH TIME AND SPACE
NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S HEAD OF GOLD
BECAME THE FIRST ONE, HE WAS TOLD.

THE ROBOT'S SILVER ARMS AND CHEST
DESCRIBED THE MEDO-PERSIAN'S STRENGTH
BUT LATER GREECE WITH THIGHS OF BRASS
WE'RE ALEXANDER'S VISION CAST.

THE MIGHTY IRON LEGS OF ROME
THAT RULED THE WORLD WITH BRUTAL FORCE
WERE SEEN AT LAST TO FALL APART
BECAUSE CORRUPTION RULED ITS HEART.

AS TIME MARCHED ON A MYSTERY GREW:
"WHO WERE THE IRON FEET WITH CLAY?"
THE MIX, THOUGH TRACED TO EUROPE'S HOME
WAS NEVER SEEN FULFILLED BY ROME.

THE FINAL ACT THE KING BEHELD
WAS OF A STONE ROLL DOWN A HILL
AND INTO DUST THIS METAL FRAME
WAS FINALLY CRUSHED AND BROUGHT TO SHAME.

THE ROCK THEN GREW TO FILL THE EARTH
HE IS THE KING OF ROYAL BIRTH
A THOUSAND YEARS HIS RULE WILL LAST
AS EVERY WORD FORETOLD WAS PASSED.--B.Pent