Autumn Rebellion

A metaphor.

The ancient general watches

As his world withers

Around him.

All he has amassed

In his years of warmth

And prosperity

Is now laid to waste

By this unstoppable

Rebellion.

He knew,

Better than anyone,

That all movements have

Their inevitable end.

He had fought for

Warmth;

The nearly forgotten

Revolt

That freed this civilization

Around him

From the frigid

Rule

Of its previous

Oppressors

Still remembers him

Fondly.

But, alas, the revolution

Is always sweetest during the

Initial change,

When only the pleasant

Relief

Is felt, and the

Past

And the

Present

Offset each other

Consummately.

As the warmth

He fought for

Progressed, however,

It brought with it

Decadence.

The freed civilization

Bloomed, flourished,

And then became

Effete and stifling.

The prosperity brought

No relief,

And now the winds of

Change

Are blowing again;

Icy gusts

That remember

Impeccably

Which side he

Has so firmly

Rooted

His future in.

The tendrils of frost

Envelope him

And he realizes

He has lost.

Weathered, wizened arms

Reach skeletally

Towards the sky;

He looses his grip

On the last of his wealth,

And shivers,

Stripped of his clothing,

As all he has ever

Known

Decomposes under the

Icy, wet reign

Of these new radicals.

A symbol of shame,

He stands resolute

As the countryside around him

Is shriveled and frozen,

Covered in the

Revolutionists'

Snow-white claims

That this is simply

Equality.

Acknowledging his

Helplessness,

He stoically awaits

The inexorable

End of this winter

And the thaw that

Eventually

Must

Come.

Author's Note

This is essentially a deciduous tree bemoaning the loss of his leaves, as well as denouncing the seasonal regression from the summer warmth that allowed him to prosper.

I also threw in a little social commentary :)

Reviews

[Poeticadia]

We witness the passage of history through the symbolic metaphor of the tree; history will repeat itself through a cycle of prosperity, rebellion and revolution as the tree repeats its cycle of growth and loss throughout the seasons.

I particularly like the way the tree is given a personality of warmth, generosity and determination. A well-crafted poem with depth, ambition and character.

[Ravyne Hawke]

Excellent poem with metaphors that could mean so many things. I love the flow and imagery in this poem. Very well done!

[ice]

Very Good, Ben
There is more than a little social comentary here..The coming on of winter is a metaphor for many different things.
Lost love, rain on a picnic, political change etc. etc.
enjoyed

[FJ Davis]

This is just outstanding. If you're this good now, what will you be at twenty-five? While many have been born with great gifts, most find a way to fail--don't you do that! Set your own standards of excellence and adhere to them. Never allow anyone to convince you that "upper-mediocrity" is good enough.
Sometimes when you live with magic, after a while, you begin to believe it's no big deal; nothing other people don't possess to varying degrees. It just isn't true.
Uh, I guess I'll conclude my rant, here.
Very impressive, Ben.

[Judy Ponceby]

this is most excellently done. fantastic images. i only lost my way once where "Still remembers him Fondly." did not make sense with the rest of that sentence.
Very well done!

[Skoo.]

This is so brilliant, I'm actually too dumb to even attempt to review it properly. It's amazing, seriously, you're a great writer :D