Fight For The Empire

Fight For The Empire
© Surazeus
2024 01 31

Beautiful as morning snow in dark woods, 
she walks on pathway through infinity 
to give me book of tales written with blood 
of brave heroes who died on battlefields 
defending our land against foreigners 
whose voices linger in sorrowful wind. 

The noble title he purchased with blood 
lies forgotten in the glass cabinet 
as ring of metal with clear mineral 
that preserves the first flash of the big bang 
in glitter of its heart from candlelight 
when guests come over for holiday meals. 

Weaving blankets to keep her family warm 
when snow-swirls veil stone castle of despair, 
she hides her broken heart with hymns of faith 
that haunt small chapel by the empty tomb 
many years while cars glide by on the road 
between the factory and the army town. 

Though loneliness fills her eyes with the ghost 
of lavender and rose on her long dress, 
she sells bags of groceries to working moms 
with same charming smile the duchess once wore 
when she attended the grand royal ball 
and sought to find the best match for her son. 

Transforming into the star mountain bear, 
he wanders dark woods just outside of town 
to watch his children on the school playground 
decide who will play the king and the pawn, 
then climbs back to his cave of hungry ghosts 
to explain magic of the telephone. 

Taking his wife and daughters to the zoo, 
where monsters and demons from fairy tales 
are locked in cages of reason and faith, 
he hides typewriter in the old oak tree 
bound with yellow ribbons to mourn the loss 
of soldiers willing to die for the king. 

Holding the dead rattlesnake in her hand, 
with bones more fragile than fairies of yore, 
she listens to soldiers drinking cold beer 
sing patriotic anthems for the dead 
whose ghosts wander lost in lands far away 
to prove our divine right to own this land. 

Beautiful as city lights in the smog, 
she drives toward home in the vast maze of myths, 
but stops to pray beside the empty tomb 
where all her fathers and mothers are bees 
making honey for her children to eat 
before they fight for the empire and die.