Joan of Arc

Everyone, even a saviour or a hero,
is a criminal to someone

when Joan of Arc in 1425
began to have her visions

She heard the voices   calling her to duty
They called her the Maid of Orleans

She led the French in 1429
to rout the British invaders

but then she was ensnared
hi clerical and royalist duplicity

She was sold to the British
who sent her to the French Inquisition
who condemned her as a heretic and a witch

Then she was taken to the streets of Rouen
where they gave her a fiery walk

They dragged her down the cobbles
to the place where an evil crowd
tied her to the stake
(sounds of condemnation)
boos, hisses, sounds of craddy fire)

St. Joan she was martyred in the nameless rage
but her name was written on the final page

So, what is the lesson to be learned from all of this?
Well, everyone's a criminal to someone
& aren't you too, you too, you too?

Everybody's due
to be put out on a perp-walk, even you, even me
even you, even me & everyone that's free

version 9     1-19-02