When the War Came

I was a sculptor
I worked in marble, stone, and clay
And I’ve crafted some treasures in my day
I was a painter
Oils was my trade
And oil fueled lifetime’s worth of flames
When the war came
Everyone’s eyes all looked the same
Hot with fear, regret and shame
Among them, not a name
I built the bridges
And I the trains
Between us, put a tap on mother nature’s veins
And he, the logger
He, the chief of police
And he, the sole, acknowledged master of the feast
When the war came
Everyone’s eyes all looked the same
Hot with fear, revenge and tears
Among them, not a name
I sang of battle
I was its balladeer
I sang of more blood and bone than I can bear to hear
And we were brothers
That time is past
But I will spare your life until the last
When the war comes, we all deny where we were from
Hot with loneliness and rum
Suddenly ripe with age
When the war came
Everyone’s eyes all looked the same
Hot with fear, regret and tears
Among them, not a name