Eye for an Eye

Lash by lash, plucked tears ooze, sodden screams, fearless dreams, pay or noose. Loser's fare to past regrets, no one remembers, no one forgets. Strong men muted, eyes fall to the ground, revolts from battles, mocked unsound.

How can one bare the smoulder of death, hold back hope, refute each breath? All for a cause greater than self, all for a dogma, bestowed from wealth; honour bound on the back's of men, to conquer a force created from them.

The pompous leaders map out the plot, what they harbour the battler knows not. Egos are branded, sought and owned, men fall too proud to denounce sworn oaths.

Eye for and eye, tooth by tooth, marchers forbode to know the truth. Leas where battles left bloody paths, wounded weep amongst the wrath. A stench befalls the cool, wet, dawn where other men lost for one man's wrong.

Whom verses the leaders donned by swathed costume and crowns, how ugly that greed follows envy for treasureless founds?

The graceless haunts, of saddleless horses, wash away souls forged by cruel, bartered forces.

Above a man dangles as others look on, a token to pay for the calloused one; as a toy hangs above a new born lad, a mother bereft for the son she had.

Swords slash, fog drapes the entrapped, morn presents deaths latest craft. Cellars hath kept most women safe, some unlucky lay shaken from rape. Elders hunger for warmth and care, goats run amuck, same as the mares.

To heal the wounds of one small bourg, never easy a task for a lonesome lord. What breathes a chance to be salvaged from ash flamed squalor, those who can, reply amongst horror.

Beasts of beasts, man of man, all for a cause that has no end. War takes, breaks, tosses all losses then calls men back to repute the costless.

Lustful for quests, blade to blade, a heart for a heart, a spade for a spade.

Flames crackle, stars burst as they rest by streams, wanderers pledge for braveness unseen. Queens, thrones, peasants and stock, all that renders the majesty's lot.

Fed by sufferers' who've been there before, they throw out old bread, slam the back doors. Whose fool must you be to hold steady and proud, when all that befallen shall covet thy shroud?

Hear me brother, my arms beg you please, tend our land, humbly cease! No man unable sets another ones table; we feed our clan, bare our hands, turn our eyes to God! Let rebels each, conjure, beseech, what demons afoot hath lawed!

Aye for aye, tongue for tongue, learn my blood, my youngest one. What enters your heart through another's breath, rest and quell reserve, attest. Do you not have thought's of your own, pleasures or dreams just your bone? Never taste from the one who shares freely a flask, you get one chance to meet your task. Hold on, hold back, study the moon, reserve your conquest, don't move too soon.

Anger spews from the dust, two men, one cold, the other feels just; brethren they be from one woman's womb, one heads north the other to sea.

Along the journey words settle deep, two separate causes pledged to keep. One at the foot of mounds and stone, the other by sand and gusts unknown.

They travel far, each hums an old song, brethren forever, yet whom next shall fall young?

From the shore, tall, wooden planked, boats are seen, up goes the flag from the country sans queen. To see such from heather born eyes, stops the hearts beat, tears move to the eyes. Granted the wander of adventure, one brother leaps toward a carefree future. No more surrender to a cause not self made; he looks back not once to the land that fades.

Aye, aye, to the land of the free, cheers to the new world, where my eyes shall see, bounty, money and hard work's reward, where the hand takes a gun and lays down the sword. Uncork the ale, pass round the port, seven months to reach the fort.

Oh my mother, what made us stray, from the home you and father gave? Three sons you bled for, only to see one fall dead from savagery. The second fled north to save the Crown, the last chose east where heathen's drown. Please pray for us as our souls set loose, remember you taught us to follow our truths.

Borders roll back as the old world fades, dreams of hope grow to shadows they've made. Aye! To our new home where taxes can't shake us dry; our very own land, orchards and rye.

The old world left has so much more yet, these rogues and cowards shall soon face old debt. Fantasy steals our weakest runts, Yanks shall pay for shameful stunts.

North of stone houses, pasts so sweet, elders go to heaven's seat; no man or son stands at wake to mourn the loss of the hearth they'd made and sworn.

One brother sleeps countless hours, death be not far as the germs spread more power. Tended by no one for fear of the plague, he swallows all sorrows for sake of the grave. Oh, my brothers, my good hearted men, remember the love we sheltered back when? Our days when mother made our bread, sang us songs, put us to bed? Recall the laughter, the games we played, the pheasants we caught, then gave away? How fathers always furrowed brows, melted when he heard of our feathered fowls? Our supper was warm, our heart's were, too; now look at us, aren't we the fools? Dead or alone we stood for ourselves, broke away from the oaths our parents had fed. Have we been true to each other? No, we have not, do you long for me brothers? Cold swept through the valley as the moon slowly waned, another son lost to a cause untamed.

Waves struck the tall, wooden, planked boat from starboard to stern, all the bows broke as the crewmen churned; men fought hungry to keep the course, some would fall over from the ocean's shear force. Shouts, chaos, drunken by fear, not one aboard would make land my dears.

All the peace we have at slumber, forges new dreams we can't out number; stay hold of all that gave you good, hold true to thyself, forsake no one.

How long are the days left upon our trodden, yet gentlest earth? No message from those before us has taught us our planet's worth. Wars swell, wrap around greedy men deemed grand. Eye, for an eye, tooth for a tooth, we've yet to learn a better plan.