Lust for Glory

A historical fiction poem which portrays the crooked mentality of those soldiers who have participated in war fighting during the Second World War.

When my sword no longer shines with-

the light of honour,

I do this for my country’s favor.

When my blood no longer flows with-

the glow of humanity,

I sold my soul to the sour vanity.

Day after day,

night after night,

those black-clocked inhuman creatures-

are ready to die.

An eye for an eye,

let the flamboyant flame of hunger-

burn my heart for the last time-

though not for my time of ressecuration,

but an age for my rebellious conversion.

Look, here is my duty:

my duty to prey for the predators under the faint shadow of war;

my duty to dye my spirit with the blind colour of patriotism;

my duty to destroy the heart of freedom, peace;

my duty to cut the vein of humanity;

my duty to sacrifice my decayed bones-

to the last sovereign of glory and pride.

Lust for Glory!

Triumph, is life’s eternal glamourous story;

Lust for Glory!

Bury the dreams of the weakness of the day,

hear the roaring cry across the dim sky,

see the cursed soul of my friend,

drifting, floating on the surface of the unbounded sea,

then back to the stony grave covered by maple leaves.

Lust for Glory!

My swollen heart is pierced,

with the frozen sword of honour.

Nothing will ever engrave-

but locked away in this heart of darkness:

my youthful dream,

my desolated shelter,

my endearing pony,

my haunted love.

‘Quick boys, time to cross that bridge of life and death.’

A hiss breaks through the faint shadow of the night-

as an unforgivable sin.

Once again

and for the last time,

our precarious soul emerged into the misty darkness,

accompanied with a

melody of a devil;

a hungry heart;

and a lust for glory.

Reviews

[Norman 223]

This is a stirring and cynical view of the "jingoistic"sense of glory that politicians love to portray. If they actually had to fight and face the fear and hardships, they would sing a different tune.
Nevertheless, your style of writing has portrayed the perceived "romantic" image that the perpetrators of war like to convey. Admirable!!

Norman

[Kathy]

Thank you for your helpful comment! As you have correctly pointed out, this poem is exactly about the cynical view of the 'jingoistic' sense of glory. The story behind the poem is that those soldiers have been deceived by this aggressive theory, and thought that they were only defending the national interest of their country, but it later turned out or they found out that this wasn't the case-and then they started wondering what was the purpose of all thoese fightings...

Jessie

[Norman 223]

Having served in the Army (compulsorily) I too was was" brainwashed" and sent to Germany. I found the "enemy" were just as disillusioned by the blandishments of theitr leaders. . I wrote this soon after.

NATIONAL SERVICE

They forced me to
CONFORM
But I stayed an individual

They even made me
OBEY
But the couldn’t command my respect.

They tried to teach me to
KILL
But they forgot to give me the courage.

But when they had taken my youth away
That’s when they let me
GO

[Kathy]

Thanks for sharing the poem and your experience. Although I have studied modern history for couple of years, but for those of us who have never truly experienced what was it like to live during the war back at then-it is difficult to image History is the "true history " that had happened if that makes any sense-in other words studying history is just like reading a series of fictional stories- But your poem seems to bring history into lives.