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