WHO WERE THE PILGRIMS ?


COLUMBUS


When Columbus sailed into the unknown
It was not to prove that the earth was round.
He wished to find a sea route to Asia
Where gold, jewels and spices were to be found.

Columbus was born in 1451
And was the son of a weaver of wool.
With is heart set on dreams and adventures,
He listened to yarns, till his ears were full.

At 14 he sailed the Italian cost,
And studied map making and geography.
Later he married a captain’s daughter,
Who's dad had maps and charts of life at sea.

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella,
Decided to grant him three crew filled ships.
On August the 3rd of 1492
His tiny fleet sailed with prayers on their lips.

The months passed by and no land was sighted.
Though his ships had traveled three thousand miles.
At two am on October the 12th
A sailor shouted "land" with tears and smiles.

The entire voyage took 224 days
Till he was safe, back in Spain once again.
After three more trips into the New World.
He died not knowing where he had been.


AMERICA 1606


America’s East Coast in 1606
Was mostly unbroken wilderness that thrived.
Except for a small fort called St. Augustine,
Where a handful of Spaniards, somehow survived.

From Florida to the frozen Arctic wastes,
Rivers flowed down through the forests to the sea.
Foreign settlements were nonexistent,
For the Indians to trade with, attack, or flee.

Not one European footprint marked the earth,
Or voice echoed down across the forest floor.
Only the murmur of the wind through the trees
And the sweet sent of nature and nothing more.

Sooner than later, one way or another,
Eager pilgrims swarmed forth from the open seas
To practice their faith and to harvest new land,
As Indians were conquered and brought to their
knees.


JAMESTOWN
1607


Four hundred years ago high-born Brits sailed to America
Seeking fast fortunes, adventure and fame.
Many would never endure their first year here
Cultivating, foraging, and hunting game.

Arriving in Virginia they came ill-prepared
In search of gold and a route to the South Seas
What they found were hostile Indians,
Insects, starvation, and disease.

“Virginia is Earth’s only Paradise!”
The laureate of England would proclaim!”
However by August of 1607,
Every day there was anguish, and pain.

They ate their horses, dogs, cats and rats
One man ate his wife and hid her bones in the ground.
Despite their hardships, half managed to survive
Becoming America’s first permanent, English town .


THE FIRST THANKSGIVING


The Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving
At Plymouth in October 1621.
The bitter winter of 1620, was over
With a loss of many father, mother, daughter or son.

Life for survivors was much better now
As a good harvest improved what was rationed
Settlers enjoyed good health and prosperity
As homes were raised from the logs they fashioned.

They walked unafraid and safely in the woods
For they had made peace with the Indians.
After the signing a long-lasting treaty
Natives and Pilgrims shared the land as friends.

Sending four men to shoot waterfowl and wild turkeys
The Pilgrims decreed a holiday of good fortune
A chief was invited who brought 90 braves
And five deer to increase the portion.

It was an open-air roast and festival
Held along the north bank of Town Brook.
Where there were games of skill, chance and dance
While everyone gorged on the feast they cooked.

From then on Thanksgiving spread through the colonies
Though each region chose its own date.
Till in 1789 President Washington proclaimed
November 26 a day to give thanks and celebrate.

The theme of Thanksgiving has always been the same.
Though its date has changed many times.
A day for giving and remembering the less fortunate
Expressing thankfulness with our prayers, hearts and minds.

It is our duty as a nation to acknowledge providence
Of Almighty God, and to obey his will.
To be grateful for his blessings, and protection
As we humbly partake in the tables we fill.


By Tom Zart