The Council

A ring of steel governs the mind of the many,
The hive; cold and darkened within a prison of frost.
The bars that are the outstretched talons..
…the curse lingering on faltered breath.
All the decisions that dictate our fate,
Made with laughter and handshakes
And sharpened blades beneath blood red capes.
The fabric of life rewoven and twisted,
Threads burned and holes torn asunder,
Seductively masked by a hissing promise.
The worker’s sweat, his children’s tears,
Fuel the pyre that burns for his dreams.