Days of Yore
Time to gather in the harvest.
We will reap what we have sown.
The world is fair and full of wonder.
The fruit is ripe, the wheat is golden.
We have workers, strong and willing,
tools to help us do the job.
We will tackle it together –
pick the fruit and cut the corn,
thank our god for such abundance,
humbly partake of these riches,
sharing them with all who’re hungry.
We will see that nothing’s wasted,
plough the earth for next year’s crop,
always live within our means,
lay up stores for harsher times.
Days of Gore
Time to gather in the harvest.
We will reap what we have sown.
The world is there for us to plunder
its fruit through foreign expeditions.
We have money, ships and weapons,
power to build a far-flung empire.
We will conquer alien peoples,
steal their treasures, take them slaves,
for our god has made us mighty.
Let us build upon our riches,
draw up treaties with our rivals –
seize the lands of lesser foes.
O’er the earth we’ll stride like giants.
We will show what glory means,
in these proud and stirring times.
Days of More
Time to gather in the harvest.
We will reap what we have sown.
The world is ours to tear asunder.
The fruit of wealth is boundless power.
We have planes to travel quickly,
instant, cheap communications.
We will build a global business,
prosperous and all-embracing,
for our god is rash consumption.
We’ll exploit the planet’s riches,
cut down forests, fight for oil,
put down chemicals . . . and concrete.
O’er the earth we’ll leave our footprints,
while we live beyond our means –
in these hectic, heady times.
Days of Reckoning
Time to gather in the harvest.
We will reap what we have sown.
The world is close to going under.
The fruit of greed is going rotten.
We have got a wealth . . . of problems –
strife, pollution, global warming.
We will have to pull together,
change our attitudes and habits –
pray our god we’re not too late!
Let’s respect the planet’s riches,
save the forests, look to water,
sun and wind, lest our folly
cost the earth – it’s all we’ve got.
We must find the will, the means,
in these fraught, alarming times.
John Barclay