balpa dola asked several children from whom did they flee each stated they were pursued by a devil that had taken the form of an old crippled man balpa dola said god and the devil live in the same hut just as god dwells within you so does his neighbor
like each century before the last faint outlines of fear are seen from afar by false prophets who quickly blackened the shapes with words of hate leaving no trace of hope just a desolate scene painted on a blood-red canvas of false promises where death’s flowers bloom in the glow of man’s ignorance
it is so very simple tell them that their god has chosen you to provide the way to salvation never mind that the price has already been paid those with guilt great or small will do anything to relieve it even if logic tells them the opposite of what you are saying just say it like you believe it and they will follow lambs following the bell on a road that has no end an imaginary cobblestoned path of lies used to free them of the fear of their real lives as well as whatever wealth they might have leaving them destitute and broken along this dusty road of faith when souls are parched their thirst can be easily be quenched by the devil’s chalice of acrid faith so that they will forsake the truth and so it was on the fifth day of satan
beneath these still
dark waters
I rest
in the ancestral clay
a fallen soul
a warrior
for a just cause
a cause
long forgotten
like all
just causes
wrapped in heroic flags
of country
or
religion
my soul
like the thousands
before
and
after
have been reduced
to a few pages
in a history book
in some
i am a hero
others cast me
as a devil
but i was
just a man
brought here
on swift currents
once i was struck
by a child’s arrow
a child i showed mercy
from my blade
but as I forged the stream
his arrow pierced my back
into my heart
killing me without honor
for he
felt
just
This poem represents my first response to the second challenge series between Jade and I. As you may recall, each poet provides the other with a series of photos, visual prompts, from which the poet is to write a poem. Jade has written her first response which can be found here. Yes…I know my Latin was bad, but haven’t used it since high school and trust me that was a long time ago.