Inspired by “Game of Thrones”, “Vikings” and other images. A bloody battlefield, the carnage and man’s endless need for warfare, sacrifice and glory. One of my darker poems.
A Thousand Spears
High on a hill an impressive sight
A thousand spears glisten in cold morning light
Banners unfurled against a crimson sky
Ravens, like dark shadows circle and fly
Warriors and men stand proud and tall
Locked behind an unbroken shieldwall
Some shiver in the cold,others with fear
They wait and watch as the enemy draws near
Some pray to their gods that they will survive
And by the end of this day, still be alive
Some think of the glory, and not contemplate defeat
The sound of men coughing and shuffling feet
Horses neigh nervously ready to take flight
Sensing the fear and the coming fight
And wait for the bloody carnage to begin
So many will be lost, so few will win
Overhead,ravens circle and fly
Below, a bloody field where many will die
Soon they will feast
On fallen man and beast
Tearing flesh from bone and pecking eyes
With their bloodthirsty curling cries
So much slaughter, so much pain
So many young men among the slain
The Gods play games and roll the dice
Fate demands the ultimate price
Of the blood sacrifice with their lives
No more, the tender touch of lovers and wives
Or pleasures of the flesh, passion and desire
But the cold earth or funeral pyre
Many will pay the price of fame
So those that live can recall their name
Sagas of their mighty deeds and glory
Immortalized in song and story.
Music and poems ,in rhythm and rhyme
Every generation has it’s time
The wheel of time turns again and again
The cycle of violence in the world of men
For such arrogance and pride
So many men have died.
For fleeting moments of immortality and fame
While the gods continue to play their game.
c/ Denis Murphy 08 June 2017