It had long seemed grotesque, this spectacle :
two old men wrestling in the dirt over a tarnished crown,
A crown made of earth and imagination,
forged out of frozen water and hot dust this thing, this nation
Built on tall stories tottering on the shoulders of insane illusion,
demanding destiny and determination, galloping Westwards, greedy for ground to shape into a land, a back story of expansive and insatiable propulsion,
grown in cursed soil, watered not by the blood of tyrants but that of their victims ,
the glare of original sin reflected, refracted its light blinding down decades –
for the curse is they are blind still to the horrible originality of that sin,
nothing so sweet as a bite from an apple,
this serpent demands blood sacrifice,
stars in its eyes, stripes across broad backs
and while her better angels, fall flailing from heaven,
lacking vigour, wings broken, finger trembling on the trigger
and virtue becomes vice, then that sin, that stain will remain
yes, it had long been unseemly, sad and vain, this tussle to remain
a champion, a stubborn rusty paladin, marching towards slaughter
and now we onlookers, can take hearts from mouths, utter sighs, uncover our eyes,
and peer around for a hero to emerge from the mists to fight
Fight fight fight
what’s that in German then ,Mein Herr ?
guess what come next if you dare
flight flight flight
may follow
fright fright fright
as they march to the right
you know what they say?
The Twenties roar and open the door
To the Thirties, high jinks, chaos and wars
Repeating as farce would be such a bore
To be cont ..
wonderful images.... need to add the "cat-lady" now who may give the two old men a run for their money.
It’s a powerful and perceptive image that of the two old men wrestling in the dirt in this land of contradictions. Apparently one at least has god on his side- the lord works in mysterious ways
Although quite different from the other pieces of you Art I've read, this a familiar feel, sound and it is due to the richness, the mix of the language, word choice n placement. Thank you again for sharing your Art.
I may have to wear a bag over my head if I attend any future Zoom meetings. Nice poem.
BBC Verify can confirm that two elderly men have indeed been observed wrestling in the dirt over a tarnished crown. We have found no evidence, however, to suggest that anyone emerging from the political mist may turn out to be a hero (or heroine). There is also some doubt as to whether angels exist or, if they do, whether they are equipped with guns. Our research suggests that 'fight, fight, fight' as a campaign slogan is very likely to prove inflammatory and that the world will almost certainly end quite soon.