5. Seven Sons - 1. Merchant

Seven Sons

An epic poem in 7 parts with Prologue and Epilogue

1. Merchant

The first son decided to go into trade,
For Jack took delight in the jingling of coins.
He was double sure that he would make the grade
And that he could not have his nose out of joint.

He mused a bit on what he could begin with.
The choice was too wide, but our Jack did not fail.
In his flushed brain diff’rent thoughts would madly seethe.
At last he found a kind of his Holy Grail.

Jack had a true friend, they were like hand and glove.
The friend’s name was Job, and he was on the job.
Whatever those two had, they would always halve,
And they let no one else into their small mob.

Jack had powerful brains, Job had two agile hands,
So they supplemented each other in full.
Jack was occupied in working out some plans —
He often succeeded, for he was no fool.

Now he informed Job what they both had to do:
Job would make some trinkets — necklaces and rings
(No metalwork but woodcraft was what he knew), —
And Jack would try to sell all those little things.

Job quickly agreed with what Jack had proposed,
And then their business got off to a good start.
No details I’ll mention but it really caused
A lot of success (they’d themselves chos’n that lot).

In five years two friends gained a great capital,
And Jack was determined to found a small firm.
You would not believe but all things were just well:
The ship of our friends surely weathered all storms.

So nothing foretold that some trouble would be
As far as our bosom friends were in accord,
But future is something you sometimes can’t see,
It’s something that sometimes can unsheathe its sword.

Their business grew wider and wider in time,
They sold and they bought all the possible things,
And too often they were on the verge of crime
But always avoided reality’s stings.

Time went by, and Jack felt that he could alone
Be head of the firm, and without any mates.
But what could he do to force Job to be gone?
(No, not pass away! Just leave the sphere of trade.)

At first Jack decided to have it discussed
With Job to make him go of his own free will,
But Job would not listen (oh fool plain and cussed!)
And told Jack that he (Job) would rather be killed.

That wish was imprinted in his partner’s mind:
“I’ll put him away. Not through grave but through jail.
He can’t see I need him no more. He is blind
That don’t understand that his mind has got stale.

The firm must be mine, and I’ll find a way out.
None will prevent me from fulfilling my plan.
Now I need no partner who’ll loiter about.
I shall be the only one, yeah, I sure can.”

Simple was his plan to put Jobbie away:
Jack gave him instructions regarding some deal
Which was illegal, and Job who’d had his day
A bit later realized: life could be hell.

I won’t tell in detail how that was set up,
How Job tried to justify himself in vain.
His brilliant career was so abruptly stopped,
For the game he’d been playing was a hard game.

Oh yes, what a lot for an innocent guy!
He could not expect to be treated like that.
“My partner, my friend turned to be fucking sly.
Oh God, how could I ever trust this damned rat?”

Deceived like a kid, he couldn’t change anything,
He rot in some jail for the rest of his days,
While Jack who led more and more people in a string
Was still not fastidious about his vile ways.

His capital grew, he became awf’ly rich.
At last he decided to find a good wife.
But she whom he’d married turned to be a bitch,
Because Jack did not make better Carol’s life.

He married again and again and again,
But his wives did not see any love or care.
All they got from him was the perpetual pain,
So no woman wanted to bear him an heir.

No children, no lovers, not even a friend…
Jack died being lonely, for he’d been too cool.
For any hard-hearted man such is the end,
And there’s no exception to this gloomy rule.

1.08 – 25.10.99