Author Information
The Easy Way Out
Two men were separated
By a great river, raging
They stayed on the banks
And soon started pacing.
One called to the other
Over the white water churning
“I, sir, am quite cold
And need flint for wood burning.”
The other replied
In much the same way
“I, sir, am quite hungry
And need snares to trap prey.”
After thinking and pondering
For most of the night
One cried to the other
“I’ve just solved our plight!”
“Do tell me, good man,
What have you in mind
To get us both out
Of this perilous bind?”
“Have you some flint?”
”I do indeed!”
“And I have a snare
So that you may feed!
Ill swim across and you can swim back
For the snare is all bundled
Within my trail pack!”
“I really do not
Wish to swim over there
For on this side I’ve fowl,
Squirrels and hare.”
“On this side I’ve branches
Twigs and the like,
So I’ve one other plan
Which I know we shalln’t strike.
I’ll swim to the middle
And meet you midstream
This plan is much easier
Than my prior plan seemed.”
An old man passing by
Heard their plan in the wind
And to them he ran,
A warning to send.
“The river is deep
And ferocious,” he cried.
“Although it is easy
You’ll both surely die.
The other plan is much safer
Although it is hard
At least you wont freeze
And at least you wont starve.”
With this the man left
But cast a tentative eye
For he knew which they’d choose
And he knew they’d both die.
“Though the river is raging
It shalln’t be that hard
So forget the old man
In the morning we start.”
The sun soon arose
And the men started swimming
To meet in the middle
Of the river now brimming.
Each started off strong
Stroke after stroke
But a surge took them under
And they started to choke.
Both started drowning
In the rivers white foam
Kicking and yelling
In their deep river doom.
The plan which was easy
Was also their tomb
And both were enveloped
In the big river’s womb.
And so they both died
Due to warning not heeded
And soon washed away
With what the other man needed.
