Poetry – Page 14 – Wordsmith: At The Forge

Tapestry

by brian francis

Though the cloth is worn and faded
And the seams are stretched and torn
While the colors are less than they once were
There are no stains in this old piece of cloth

After years of work and squander
Mucking around in the refuse of life
Through a gift of spirit and wonder
Washed clean in the grace of His light

His heart is the way of salvation
Through love is the promise redeemed
Still torment beguiles with temptation
For acceptance is just but the seed

And this cloth is but a canvas
Whereon the masterpiece of life is beheld
And the stroke of the brush is creation
And the image is that of the self

Runes and rhymes and fire’s smoke
sands drawn out, a careful rite
enticing ancient powers to come
Magic cast on the darkest night

circles chant and wander around
words as old as the sound of birds
they cast almost a warbling sound
round upon round of ancient words

Flames of blue and red and white
dance in the eyes a billowing flash
An energy builds with the final rite
Falling silent prostrate on the ground

Colors of Freedom

By brian francis

I guess your life is not what you dreamed it should be
You imagine liberty as something given to you for free
But look at the flag on the ground beneath your feet
As you dance upon it, your act of ignorant defiance
You can see the field of blue holding the union of stars
Vigilance, perseverance, and justice are reflected therein
While purity and innocence are the symbols in the white
And valor and hardiness are seen in the color of blood
That red which you tread upon in support of freedom’s ring
Symbolizes the price that was paid, for your rights, in blood
Fellow citizens who either never came home again
Or did so wearing their personal marks of honor’s sacrifice

It isn’t the cloth that you step upon that offends so many
It is the sacrifice that is endowed within it
That cloth has stood beside many a fallen soldier
And covered them in its embrace on their journey home
These are what you are dishonoring our fallen brave
I get that your anger is justified and I will stand with you
I will fight for your freedoms and liberties hand in hand
But if you keep standing on my flag, desecrating it
I will mark you my enemy — a traitor, a miscreant, a fool
As I proceed to defend that which I so proudly hail
and have sworn to protect — I will cry tears
as I beat the shit out of you, defending my flag.

The Great Depression

by brian francis

In the darkness I often lay
waiting patiently for the coming day
And while the night goes creeping by
I lay in wait but beneath I cry
I see my life as a challenge met
yet the reflection seems all regret
I wonder what others truly see
when their eyes alight on me

Sunshine brightens our darkened room
and still I lay with a heavy chest
No passion for life from a barren soul
burdens my labored breathing
I remember a time when I think I smiled
but are they true memories or distant dreams
What can one do but persist and continue
dragging the weight dragging and dragging

I’ll try to smile to shine a bit
for fear of revealing I feel like shit
I’ll laugh if it seems the thing to do
emotion like a burka a presented view
outward appearances a social game
unknown rules cloud constrain
What others find it so easy to be
rips at my soul and tortures me.

Copyright © 2020 brian francis

Around the Flag

by brian francis

Rally round the flag now,
oh, rally once again,
on with the battle cry of freedom.
We have never knelt before
and we will not now again.
We’ll stand, strong, and proud,
and defeat them.

Let the enemy beware,
let him cower deep with fear,
The flag is the symbol that we follow.
Terror might beset us,
But never will we fear.
The threat might be deadly,
but it’s hollow.

Vengeance in the air
we will have our moment then,
as we act with the might of our union
We will rally round the flag,
and find our comfort there,
singing proudly, with conviction,
the cry of freedom.

Rally round the flag now,
oh, rally once again,
on with the battle cry of freedom.
We have never knelt before
and we will not now again.
We’ll stand, strong, and proud,
and defeat them.

Darkness Rising – Dementia

By brian francis

Pyres rage burning tall in the fields of my mind
Glowing in the darkness’ consuming shadow
Memories drift in ashen clouds settling, obscuring
Fragments, memories clutter about like puzzle pieces
Cut from separate dies — fitting only when forced

Names are lost to smiles and nods implying familiarity
confusion dances in the mind ticking out unknowingly
revealing discomfort at the lostness of this delusional
life deteriorating, melting away like a late season snow
leaving a bitter taste on the tongue as it fades

A Haunting Image

By brian francis

Endless repetitions
replay in the mind.
Digital-skip recurring.

Disappearing into the wall,
gone without a trace.
Swallowed whole again,
like a train arriving
to an elevated station.

It’s just unbelievable.
Inconceivable.
Nightmarish.

Author’s Note: 9-11 related

Copyright ©2020 brian francis

Off to War

By brian francis

There are flowers once again
in the hands of young men,
as they give them to their girls
before they leave and go to war.

There are tears of goodbye
in the corner of the eye,
as the soldiers march away
and once again, they go to war.

And for the names of those who fall
should we build another wall;
another place to stand and cry
remembering those lost to war?

Now in this time of great needs
our nation suffers and it bleeds.
Politicians lead us with lies
and once again we are at war.

Masih ad-Dajjal

By brian francis

Looking at the TV screen at the local Donuts shop
an old man said pointing at the picture of Donald Trump
He has come, soon the battle will begin.
I sat looking down engaged in my donut and coffee
but still I listened as he mumbled about the prophecy

He is the one destined for destruction
he who opposes and exalts himself
he takes the highest seat
and they cry out his name
the deceiver comes from his place
in the towers high above the great city

He will remove the laws, becoming the lawless one
joining league with the orders of darkness
he will oppress the voices of reason and truth
usurping the good with deception, perversion
Yes he has come and dark days will soon follow

Tag: Poetry

Tapestry

Ritual

Colors of Freedom

The Great Depression

Around the Flag

Darkness Rising – Dementia

A Haunting Image

Off to War

Masih ad-Dajjal

You can do it: Share

Like this:

You can do it: Share

Like this:

You can do it: Share

Like this:

You can do it: Share

Like this:

You can do it: Share

Like this:

You can do it: Share

Like this:

You can do it: Share

Like this:

You can do it: Share

Like this:

You can do it: Share

Like this:

You can do it: Share

Like this: