The Poetry of World War IV - 7

The Poetry of World War IV - 7
Christopher Bogart

“It began with the light of one flame …”

1.
Rising – he begins to walk,
Ascending from his hill retreat
Up and onward
To the plain above.
There – where tall, green waving grass
Simulates the ocean’s flow;
There, the Boy – a savior stands,
Legs and arms wait for command,
Eyes soft stare intent across the plain.
Ready he to face the foe,
Ready for the foe below –
He watches
As the high grass licks his legs.
There before him, on the plain,
Stands the horsemen, hand and mane,
Spectre-like, and yet in form,
Earthbound.
The Boy quivers in their gaze.
He, who chosen to defy,
Stands firm on soil of his birth;
Yet, no roots.
He sees into the future of his fate.
He yearns, he hopes, he holds to purify.