Of Slaves And Kings
There once resided a slave in a cell
Who often pondered his confined hell
Always obeying what others asked of him
No goals his own merely trapped in a spell
So, before sunrise when all were asleep
He stole away making barely a peep
Resolving to find out what laws he must live by
Escaped in the night to stroll far from his keep.
Moving at random the slave headed west
He stopped for a while at a farm to rest
Met an old farmer feeding his livestock
Who offered an ear to the slave's strange quest
The farmer knew his advice could not fail
To bestow success on this fellow's odd tale
“Set reasonable goals, goals you know can be done”
Then returned to his work still sloshing his pail.
Moving along the slave entered a city
He wandered through streets grimed and gritty
Encountered a merchant yelling and selling
Who heard out the slave in a semblance of pity
The merchant’s code had set him near
Heights of success almost without peer
“Set high goals, but goals you think can be done”
Then swivelled away to trade his wares dear.
The slave met many more interesting folk
Who granted advice on that which he spoke
They all viewed success as one of two options
Yet neither seemed right; naught inside him awoke
And as sunset approached at the end of the day
That vexatious question held him at bay
“To achieve success, which goals should I strive for?”
No answer appeared; it seemed he'd lost his way.
In abject despair the slave climbed a knoll
To watch clouds drift by in their lazy stroll
'Till after four days something suddenly hit him
A scattered awareness now finally whole
Released from his trance the king rose to go
And returned to his palace at last in the know
The only goals that confer kingly success
Are castles in the sky that force you to grow.
