This is the conclusion of a six-part series presenting some of the diary entries of Smallville's founding father, Ezra Small. Future issues of the Ledger may delve further into this enigmatic man's legacy, which is only now being unraveled by dedicated independent analysts and members of the Ezra Small Project (ESP). Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V appear in recent editions.
In Part V, we caught a glimpse of Small's tormented mind in his prose segments. By late March 1839, perhaps with the promise of more pleasant weather, Small's attitude seems to have brightened considerably. Several weeks go by without a notable entry beyond simple supply lists and daily activity logs.
Finally, as winter passes away, Small records one more surge of abnormal verse. These words seem to have come to him over a period of a few days in one last release. And with that, this portion of the journal ends.
As we pore through the badly deteriorating fragments of Small's diary in the McDaniel Collection at the Lowell County Historical Society, analysts from the ESP will continue attempting to illuminate the life of this extraordinary man--to whatever extent that task is possible, given his erratic nature. Some have even joked that the cryptic poems seem like clues in some kind of elaborate game. Such a diversion would require the sharpest minds to crack, but the eventual rewards would surely be substantial.
In the fifth month at brightest light
The son chooses neither father
He chooses a third fate
When Black Friday comes
He will dig himself a hole
Stake his claim, change his name
Named for his mother's blood
But not born of her womb
He will be the only one
He who knows when he can fight
And when he cannot
Will be victorious
A serpent seen near the royal bed
It will be by the lady at night
The dogs will not bark
His memory, his will, his promise
Our hopes, our dreams
Your duty
And so the end game commences
Move, countermove, rise, fall
The pawn will strike the final blow
At last their paths converge
They can see the crossroads
But they cannot avoid a casualty
