The Restoration Song
Animal Rights Poetry By Heidi Stephenson From All-Creatures.org

I'll sing you Oneness, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this Oneness, O?
Green grow the rushes, O
One is one and all are One
And evermore shall be so.

I’ll sing you two, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this two, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Two, two the lily-white swans
Swimming on their stream, O.

I’ll sing you three, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this three, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Three, for the busy beavers
Building artful dams, O.

I’ll sing you four, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this four, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Four, four the foxes fine
Foraging forest fruits, O.

I’ll sing you five, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this five, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Five for the wild sheep on the Moor
Free amongst the grass, O.

I’ll sing you six, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this six, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Six, the repentant stalkers
…Now helping all the deer, O.

I’ll sing you seven, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this seven, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Seven for the starlings in the sky
Fearing not the guns, O.

I’ll sing you eight, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this eight, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Eight for the rabbits of the wood
At peace among New Man, O.

I’ll sing you nine, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this nine, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Nine for the good, Light shiners
Serving all their kin, O.

I’ll sing you ten, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this ten, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Ten for the One Commandment1
Now healing all the earth, O.

I’ll sing you eleven, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this eleven, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Eleven for the Eleventh Hour
…And acting just in time, O.

I’ll sing you twelve, O
Green grow the rushes, O
What is this twelve, O
Green grow the rushes, O
Twelve for the twelve months of the year
…And living peaceably, O.

NOTES: 1 “You shall not kill.” (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17)

©Heidi Stephenson, April 2020

"Rushes" by Claire Palmer, IT International Times