The Wolves of Midwinter

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Senseless Violence

The sound of gunshots pierced my ears-
Jarred me
I was permanently sleepless as long
As this cruel rhythm sounded incessantly
Through this wasteland of bodies
Piled carelessly about me

As I near my death, 
I prayed to God for mercy
While others prayed for the deaths of the supposed enemy...
One cries aloud:
"Oh God, I beseech you to spare me...love me.."
Another screams aloud for the courage to 
Blow their enemy to smithereens...
Another solider with two fatal wounds regretfully 
Prays to no one
He only fantasizes one last time 
About that wife that he might never see again

Why were we sent here?
From the age of two, I was bred
On the notion of warfare
Being the epitome of the glorified man
Wouldn't Jesus be proud that I killed countless people
Without any discretion or any reflection
Upon their individual depth?
I believed blindly in this violent purpose for myself
I convinced myself that they were the enemy-

Kill, or be Killed-
That was really the edict of this land
My commander instructed me that this was God 's work-
Except, that holy book
Vaguely stated that murder was wrong
I was deluded by new theology of course
Spoken in the gruff sincerity of God's elect

As my comrades around me slowly bleed to death,
I could only proclaim:
"Go to hell, God!"
God was probably already there
-Condemned by his own followers to perdition

How could anyone sent
Into the blistering nightmare of war
Of war clutch such contradictory truths?
Was this it? I had to blindly believe
Just to reconcile this violence
In such a contrived way


Senseless.... Oh Lord,
This obligatory violence in my life is senseless
All around me, there is no healing
Just blood and torn limbs
Of all your broken soldiers
We thought we were the pawns of you
But really, we are the slaves of man
If you're there, save us from this unholy mess
For we are being skewered 
In Jesus's name, 
Amen 

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