a song of the “cave people”

by gerald j. lively

hear now a tale—a tale of human genesis,

a tale of first endeavor,

the dawn-flush in the night.

it’s a long, long way to go, to those days of long ago,

but your baby feet have trod it, oh ye children of the light.

dark were our early days—night and cold encumbered us,

driving us to trees and caves

who had no eyes to fight.

yet it still seems very near, does that dreary age of fear,

when we trembled in our shelters at the noises of the night.

prey to all the stronger beasts—mock of half the lesser ones;

little, less, and lower ones

marvelled at our shame.

till from out our utter need came the thought, and came the deed,

and we won our way to freedom with the all-compelling flame.

noises we misunderstood—dreams that came to trouble us;

shades that shrank and lengthened

and danced about our way.

our world was full of hosts of goblins, gnomes, and ghosts—

are ye still afraid of goblins, oh ye children of the day?

10stark—but for flint and bone—pitted we our wit against

the sabre-tooth and cave-bear

and beasts we slew for food;

but the fiercest fight began when we slew our brotherman:

oh children of the daylight, have ye lost the taste for blood?

dim is the tale we tell: dust of time has muffled it;

far apart the happenings

that made ye lords of earth.

by the ages in between times ye know and pleistocene

have pity on our childish ways and pride in all our worth.