Birds Of Steel And Chariots Of Iron To Take Us Home Poem by Laiakini Waqanisau

In formation a hundred or so men stood
To hear the command and get ready to leave islands far away
To reach far away places and serve under a thousand stars
In the still of the night the shrill of children’s cries fill the air
Mothers and loved ones stand by waving and hugging the little ones
Weeping to see loved ones depart to someday return
Like a spear these sights and sounds pierce even the steeliest hearts

Large birds of steel await and ferry its passengers to faraway lands
Only read about in books, and preached on pulpits in many an island church
These birds travel high, next to the clouds and under the guidance of stars
From the air with an eagles view, it’s a sight to behold
For this is a birds eye view of God looking at creation
Taking care of men, already so far from home
And feeling the tug of returning home one day

The large bird arrives in the old lands promised to Abraham by God Almighty
Where a hundred or so men stand in awe of the land of milk and honey
Greeted by tired faces, these men rest for a night
Birds of war fill the air watching and looking in the morning
Whilst a hundred or so men travel through the timeless desert
Past the wells dug by Abraham in Beersheba
To the walls guarded by the sons of Pharaoh and sons of David

Chariots of iron guide a hundred or so men through the sand dunes
Through unknown roads, filled with moving sand dunes
Men in white flowing robes stand stoically on the road
As the iron chariots glide past to a destination already known
What a sight to see these chariots of iron a column and a mile long
Watching and looking at the bazaars going on
For the first time, the dust settles as steel gates rise

Closer and closer the walls rise from the sands
For a hundred or so men, this will be home for the next 365 days
Steel walls, spears of steel are the ornaments visible at the gates
The chariots of iron arrive to this silent fortress
Sounds and aroma’s of home is now distant
As the new place becomes home away from home
To a hundred or so men, until the next bird of steel takes us home again