Linguicide

In splendid isolation
Stood an ancient nation
So my mother said to me
As she recalled our history
In a land she did not recognise
As tears fell from her eyes

Deep within a valley
Where the stream of words did not reach
And armies did not rally
The tide of tongues hit the beach
And people lived a simple life
And spoke as they ever did
And shared a life devoid of strife
All the while that they were hid

On the knee of my mother
I learned a minority tongue
I did not know another
And there was but one
One word for love
One for desire
One word for hunger
One to inspire
Every emotion a heart could possess
And every thought a mind could express

Sundered from the valley
Adrift upon a sea
Of words I cannot understand
Who will rescue me?
On this lonely island
I watch the waters rise
As they wash away the words
My mother tongue dies