“The Prairie Dog” [Sun Tsu series 9 – 1D]
I had not viewed, as prairie dog, the land where I grew up,
As being such an obstacle, it did not seem that tough;
But then again, life here is bland, our time quite peaceful too;
So my perceptions aren’t quite right, in fact they are quite skewed.Sun Tsu says you must have a place where you can move about;
High ground on the periphery, right-rear, a safety route;
With danger up front, battle lines, all lethal ground in fact,
He saw as best that’s possible for you to work your tact.I think of Rommel’s desert tanks, and blitzkrieg’s lowland flats;
And now I start to understand, for Israel’s like that –
It’s in that flat place in the North their trouble often came,
So maybe plain’s quite dangerous, though really good for grain.The pioneers would circle ’round their wagons in a ring;
Protect themselves while facing out, protection it would bring,
As much as could be hoped for on those empty grassy miles;
Until the fences were put up – grim battles turned to smiles.Not so for those who lived here first, who lost out to disease,
Then nasty folks who seized their land to do with as they pleased;
But story is not over yet, King of the mount today
Will get turfed out by someone else – for that’s the human way.Lord, “Easy life” here on the plains is how life gets defined;
The mountain men of yesteryear, and those who work the mines,
Are seen as tougher than out here, for reasons that might be,
But easy come means easy go – in time I guess we’ll see.Thanks Lord for this.
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