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Modern Crusader

Ruinous fortune and ghosts blink

Voices whisper like gunshots soft

Spill blood, and from flagstones drink

Ignoring God’s muffled cough

 

Call upon vengeance, upon right

Bathe in imagined holiness

Tainted by eagerness to fight

Flushed triumph to bold to confess

 

Metal teeth sunk in delicate flesh

Legs crossed in a burning coffin

Harvest too great for the skulls to thresh

Breath in ash of the unknowing grin

◄ The Old Lands

Rats ►

Comments

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Adam Rabinowitz

Tue 27th Aug 2019 15:28

Been reading your poems and bathing in this powerful imagery. God's muffled cough is great....

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Jason Bayliss

Sun 28th Jul 2019 23:18

I really like this, favourite line amongst many,
"Harvest too great for the skulls to thresh
Breath in ash of the unknowing grin."
I love the imagery of their imagined holiness ruined by bloodlust, but it also has great rhythm and scansion.

J. x

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Heart of Lead

Fri 19th Jul 2019 13:40

Oh yes, for sure, ha ha. I have some elements of modern war with imagery from crusaders and it's kind of a take on war in general, the death inflicted by those who believe in a cause. But you are right, some of the fun in poetry is trying to make something that makes just enough sense to create meaning while being lost in confusing imagery. All the same, thank you for the comment!

<Deleted User> (18980)

Fri 19th Jul 2019 13:28

Well I've read it a few times and whilst I like it I have no idea what it is about. Perhaps that's the appeal?

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