He watched them grow through the summer days
Till the harvest came in the fall
And he left to gather the maize
And sometimes he would return with a doll
Till the last one no longer crawled
Then he'd return with the tales he had heard
and they'd listen to the crying songbird
But the days were tough and winters long
and famine came along
and the crops no longer grew
and in the village, the people cried
for blood
they cried for blood
Weapon wielding and unyielding
they fought in the arena
as the mighty crowds awaited
For just one man to fall
just one less mouth to feed
But the fights were not to be avoided
For the villagers proclaimed
only the strong may live
and they shall be rewarded
So the father told his kids he loved them
And in the arena stood
And he remembered the summer days
And he prayed he would not be defeated
Not because of how it would feel to win
But because what it would mean to be defeated
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