Requiem

Let us chisel the names of the dead

into this blank black wall;

Let them burn for miles

graves filled with the fruit of ideology

 

Let us build them effigies

prayers

and hymns

Let the smoke of their futility

rise

as coiled serpents

 

Let us scrawl the names of the liars

upon this blank white wall

with red marker

so their crimes will be clear

 

Let us throw them down

spit

curse

and exile them

 

the rich, the privileged

who determine doctrine

who dictate faith

 

Who send forth armies

from behind the mahogany expanse

of their sublime wealth

 

Let us carve the names of the forgotten

in the ice of their frozen tears

empty arms in the airport

soon to filled with folded flag

 

Let grieve for them their passage

Let us hold their heads

and pray:

 

Réquiem ætérnam dona eis Dómine;

et lux perpétua lúceat eis

Requiéscan in pace

 

Which means

goodbye.

 

Reviews

[emmajoy]

What incredibly powerful writing!.

Whilst your words flow hot as lava, they do flow and into an almost-tale of moral indigination and bitterness.

'Who send forth armies
from behind the mahogany expanse
of their sublime wealth'

Your words are true, realistically judgemental and, in a word.. magnificent.

If only there were more people who thought like you and, yelled their thoughts from the highest rooftops!

Thank you for allowing me to read.

[Ari]

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

[Drifting Blue]

As I read this I kept asking myself who they are. I think I can guess, but I wonder if there might be some work somewhere down the line at defining that a little. I love the latin and the part about the effigy. There are a couple of places where you missed some words such as let grieve where you meant let us grieve. Nitpicky I'm sure, but this is good work. You have talent.

[Gandré]

Such an awareness how you show it, we need! We need less listeners, and less followers and more revolutionists ideamaker and thinker and eccentrics and honest selfless creators. You said here everything, the 2nd stanza was my favorite, for yes, there is so much futility and this has to be presented to masses, I guess it is not easy to live at the edge but soon many will live so and it always is going somehow forward...we recognize that less is more. I am happy to read this

Let us throw them down

spit

curse

and exile them



the rich, the privileged

who determine doctrine

who dictate faith-----------fabulous!


You speak about all the war and system victims those who were in fight and those who left their life so senselessly just because living at the wrong place... they all are receiver of your beautiful tribut to them in the same moment this poem is uplifting and saying that many many desire a change...and I am happy I found it tonight. This one of your best. I liked the rhythm in it it is insisting, what would give the poem a seriousity like it deserves. great work, JR. goes to favorites.

[Emily Rose]

Quite a powerful sentiment and well-expressed as usual. Your imagery works wonders for you and you do a really good job at doling out clear ideas wrapped in a smokescreen of subtlety. Truly poetic. And great use of Latin at the end, by the way. Always a nice touch.

But now it's time to deliver the critique that I mention in, I swear, every other review that I write: puntuation is your friend. You use it well, if sparingly, but I think that punctuating the entire poem could really benefit its message. Maybe it's just me being an anal critic, but I generally think that punctuating only half of a poem - throwing in a few commas here and there and perhaps the odd period - is generally bad form and indicates laziness. I am, perhaps, completely misinterpreting, but I just thought I'd point that out.

[Lola Nation]

I pray for those every day.

where have you been?

[Lyra H]

Beautiful, strong words with a heart-filled meaning. Poerful poetry really is getting harder to find, but this really hits the target...brilliant!

[Nicole Clarice Anna Wie..]

Wow - this was absolutely beautiful and so so powerful! Everything about this piece was simply captivating. I am very glad i stumbled upon this. Fantastic work JR!

[Poeticpiers]

I agree whole heartedly. Dulce et Decorum pro patria Mori id probably the greatest live ever told.