The Nine Lost Lepers

Ten men there were, all lepers.
Ten lepers out of ten.
But Jesus healed them every one,
Healed every one of them!

He healed the first and second ones,
The third and fourth also.
And then he healed the fifth and sixth,
With only four to go!

And then he healed those four as well,
Ten lepers out of ten!
He healed them all, both great and small,
Healed every one of them!

But only one returned, you say,
Just one of all those ten?
Where did they go, those other nine?
Pray what became of them?

Perhaps they all went fishing,
With fishing rods and twine,
Perhaps they all went sailing
At twenty one past nine!

Perhaps they’re in a jungle,
With lions all around!
Perhaps they’re in a treetop
And can’t get to the ground!

Perhaps they’re miles and miles away
Too tired to come back.
Perhaps if they walk all those miles
They’ll get a heart attack!

Perhaps they’ve lost their gravity
And floated to the Moon!
Perhaps if they are coming back
It won’t be very soon.

Perhaps we’ll never, ever know
Perhaps we’ll stop perhapsing
Perhaps we’ll cease right here and now
Because our time is lapsing.

But no! we say, we’ve got to know.
Where are the other nine?
We must go on perhapsing
Until the sun won’t shine.

And then we’ll start supposing
Until the stars don’t shine!
To find out where’ they’ve gone, you see,
To find the other nine!

But now we’re getting tired.
Perhaps we’ll have a nap.
Perhaps we’ll search tomorrow
With a compass and a map!

Perhaps we’ll board a great big ship
To look for them at sea.
Perhaps we’ll sail on Tuesday
At seventeen past three.

Perhaps we will, perhaps we won’t.
Who knows what we will do?
But this we know: it’s getting late,
And now at least we’re through!

But even though we’re going to bed
There is one thing we’ve learned:

HOWEVER they have gone away

WHATEVER was their reason,

WHEREVER they have traveled to —

They ought to have returned!