The afternoon
Flutter and dies:
The fairy moon
Burns in the skies
As they grow darker, and the first stars shine
On Night’s rich mantle – purple like warm wine.
On each white road
Begins to crawl
The heavy toad:
The night-birds call,
And round the trees the swift bats flit and wheel,
While from the barns the rats begin to steal.
So now must I,
Bird of the night
Towards the sky
Make wheeling flight,
And bear my poison o’er the gloomy land
And let it loose with hard unsparing hand.
The chafers boom
With whirring wings,
And haunt the gloom
Which twilight brings –
So in nocturnal travel do I wail
As through the night the wing-ed engines sail.
Death, Grief, and Pain
Are what I give,
O that the slain
Might live – might live!
I know them not for I have blindly killed,
And nameless hearts with nameless sorrow filled.
Thrice curs-ed War
Which bids that I
Such death should pour
Down from the sky.
O, Star of Peace, rise swiftly in the East
That from such slaying men may be released.
(Paul Bewsher)
More Poetry from Paul Bewsher:
Paul Bewsher Poems based on Topics: Night, Birds, Man, Grief, Sadness, Fairy, Pain, Travel, Wine, War & Peace, Death & DyingReaders Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Man Poems, Night Poems, Sadness Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Nature Poems, War & Peace Poems, Pain Poems, Birds Poems, Grief Poems, Wine Poems, Fairy PoemsBased on Keywords: night-birds, wing-ed, chafers