In The House Of Hope

In The House Of Hope
© Surazeus
2022 02 03

The woman collapsed in the house of hope, 
who wears old jeans under her flowery dress, 
conceals her sorrow in the eglantine 
that blooms from the bleeding wound in her heart, 
then rises to the sky with dignity 
to keep cooking in the church of dead gods. 

The wind that blows around her small white house 
softly creaking by river on the plain 
whispers secrets she does not want to hear 
in harmony with boiling of beef stew, 
so she stares blankly at the willow tree 
who whirls her thin arms in anxiety. 

The door that slams when she steps from the house 
waits for her to return to its sad warmth 
while she stands in wet grass on river shore 
to watch how water flows relentlessly 
in spiraling whorls through eternity 
so long she feels her name vanish in wind. 

Though she hears nothing but wind in the grass 
the woman by the river on the plain 
sees armies of men with guns, tanks, and planes 
in her motherland far across the sea 
kill each other in explosive world war 
over whose god is the right one to serve. 

While slicing apples to bake in the pie, 
sharp blade of the knife gleaming in sunlight, 
the woman in the house of moaning wind 
sees face of the nameless soldier in snow 
who lies on his back under empty skies 
while red blood gushes from his mouth and eyes. 

The ghost of the warrior with gleaming sword 
who rides black horse in cold arrogant wind 
flashes past kitchen window on the lawn, 
so she steps outside in hair-swirling wind 
and aims cutting knife at void of his eyes, 
but he calls her name as he disappears. 

Through swirling shadow of the warrior ghost 
the mailman drives up to her picket gate 
and hands her letter from the government 
which announces that her husband is dead, 
killed in the Forest of Broceliande, 
still clutching the Holy Grail to his breast. 

The woman wandering in the house of hope 
folds letter of death by his photograph, 
eats supper of beef stew and apple pie, 
then plays piano as stark evening light 
erases landscape of the changeless world 
while his child blossoms awake in her womb.