In a swift second of acknowledgment
His eyes soared
vertically chasing
vertically chasing
Fizzing metal,
Viewing a sky that
slowly rolled
slowly rolled
Over him
And a sun that
shone for Satan
shone for Satan
In a wilderness of
spite.
spite.
Heat and air
merged to
merged to
Sulphurous
proportions, infused
proportions, infused
With alloys of war
and hate that
and hate that
Boiled by
waterless caverns of
waterless caverns of
Crimson
sadness,
sadness,
Of lemon
daydreams.
daydreams.
Above a lone cloud
slid,
slid,
Soaring to
excess:
excess:
To grasp and hold
it,
it,
To cradle a
hope;
hope;
He blinked
Motionless;
Eyes silently
still.
still.
He fell where he
stood;
stood;
Head in his
footprint,
footprint,
As a man,
As a grain of
sand,
sand,
As an important
insignificance.
insignificance.
Restless Khyber
wind circled
wind circled
With a belligerent
edge that
edge that
Cracked and spat
and blew,
and blew,
Drifting dunes of
khaki
khaki
Westwards;
As hostile sand
disguised
disguised
A sign of
being,
being,
His mark of
living,
living,
Our print of
shame,
shame,
This empire of
dust.
dust.
By Stephen Hollaway