Ole William Smith, Captain, Georgia Battalion,

Had a way with his words

Maybe, too, with his command

Because a couple of his charges

Took an opportunity to run

Which seems to be a common exercise

In 18th century Virginia

Patrick Duffy, an Irishman

With sleeves half worn

And a full face lost his spirit to fight

And deserted his post

As did Emanual Kelly, a country born wheelwright,

Who was very fond of liquor and while wearing the threads of despair

Hit the deserter’s runway

Together, their worth, posted at twenty dollars

Just like the well-spoken, albeit forked tongued, Will,

Who according to his owner’s poisoned advert

After a full life with this honorable family

And his lack of gratitude to his keepers

And his audacious thought that a man should be free

Took for the James River

Quite possibly with passes professing him a free man

Soldiers and slaves

Lives so tough

That getting away becomes a singular thought

Running the only option

Could it be that oppression and domination

Are not really how we are supposed to live

Could it be that running away

Is as much a strength as fighting or cruelty

Wars of independence

Wars on terror

Gihads

Involuntary servitude

Shady business practices

Limited thinking

Ego

Each a thought bound to the William Smiths of history

“Enough”

“That’s it”

“A better way”

“This is crazy”

Are thoughts for full faced Irishmen,

Liqoured up wheelwrights, men fit for freedom, and

All of us folks

Preferring peace and respect

To the current state of affairs