Baronhawk's Nest

Blinded by haze
red haze!
Obscured by fog
war fog!

"Kill'em all!"
"Shoot everything!"

And as the 7th Cavalry aims
men, women and children all
Korean war refugee train
are rushed into the fall.

And as the hammer drops
firing pin springs
bullets leap, shells explode
civilian lives are spent.

Thus lie the bodies
broken, bloodied, refrained
victims of wrongful deaths
with recompense detained.

O! sons and daughters
I am doomed to never know
O! childs of fathers
lost like fallen snow
O! childs of mothers
whose tears would ever flow

we sing you this song
perched on battle's brows
we sing you this song
on eve of nevermore

Farewell! Fare thee well!

to sons and daughters
that we will never know
to sisters and mothers
farewell we bid you now
to wives and lovers
a kiss of love we blow

Farewell! Fare thee well!

We sing our final song
perched on battle's brow
the eve of nevermore.

Wipe your away tears
still your gentle cries
we sing you this song
with hearts full of joy

So long my little dears
we'll look upon you soon
from the clouds high above
as we float on angels song.

Jew:
We are a wronged people
repressed and censured
for our race.

Palestinian:
We are a conquered people
repressed and terrorized
on our own lands.

Jew:
Our people are herded into concentration camps
forced to suffer under the iron hand of the Nazis
men, women and children killed out of hand.

Palestinian:
Our peole are herded into refugee camps
forced to suffer under the iron hand of the Israelis
men, women and children killed out of hand.

Jew:
We bomb civilians
and assassinate individuals
but for the safety
of our ancestral homeland.

Palestinian:
We bomb civilians
and throw grenades at soldiers
but for our freedom
and our stolen homeland.

Jew:
Our first prime minister
is a terrorist you say
no! indeed he is a freedom fighter.

Palestinian:
Yasser Arafat
is a terorist you say
no! indeed he is a freedom fighter.

Jew:
The Stern Gang are not terorrists
but soldiers in our war for freedom.

Palestinian:
The Hamas are not terorrists
but soldiers in our war for freedom.

Jew:
The world should excuse our astrocities
the US and everyone else did nothing
when Hitler did this to us.

Palestinian:
The world should excuse our terror activities
the US and everyone else did nothing
as the Israelis did this to us.

Commentator:
An endless circle it is
this ride of miscontrued innocence
past wrongs are munitions
employed for present actions
there is scant truth
much less any sense
in this endless cycle
of endless violence
both sides have their points
until these are redressed
there is no resolution
especially for the hypocritical judge
who speaks for his much adored freedom
but ignore moral clauses
in his own pursuit of happiness
within his just cause
the deaths of others are collateral
a mere three thousand of his deaths
and the world has to pay consequence
you take away their voice
left their political will overthrown
and yet you ask their objections
be spoken in peaceful terms
"why?" would the high-horsed judge ask
"do we bore the brunt of agression?"
"why are our shores be visited by terrorism?"
why else indeed
but the price you pay
for your splendid ignorance
to judge for others only in your own terms
and to support those who you gave free license
only to fight for so called freedom
when it is in your own cognizance.

The World:
I grive for thee
I grieve for me
for such indulgence
brings only contention
Is there an end to this
to more peaceful existance
alas I see no end
but a higher octave
to this melody
an endless malady
such is the human condition.

On parade!
the 54th,
the Massachussets 54th.
Upon beach
and grainy sands,
under shadows
of Fort Wagner's guns.

On parade!
the fighting men,
sons and brothers
of coloured ken.
Under arms
and colours Union,
fighting for rights
to die as men.

"Forward!
Fifty-Fourth",
unto the dunes
and forward hence.
By blood by smoke
and into legend,
the rights and dignity
of social sanctions.

"We are men!"
"equal and free,"
"whose blood does flow"
"as red as any."
"With rights to die"
"and fight as men,"
"in this our nation"
"our blood as recompense."

On parade!
the 54th.
Upon beach
and grainy sands,
under shadows
of Fort Wagner's guns.
On parade!
the gallant men,
these fighting men,
of coloured ken.
Free born fellows
educated gentlemen,
runaway slaves
whose backs are lined.

In victory
overlooked,
in defeat
twice rebuked.
But here
upon these sands,
their blood
emits a glorious shine.
As these gallant men
into death's jaws,
proving the courage
of brethren and ken.

Rest easy
Colonel Shaw,
the courageous dead
upon these shores.
For all glory
that have been forfend,
are now wreathed
upon deserving shoulders.

"Forward!
Firty Fourth,"
into the eve
of courage and glory.
Ever onward
evermore,
into the seeds of freedom
and equality.

Out of mists and under fog
rose the cry of warrior lords
blue faces O! Woad
screaming forms charging bold.

swift as winds fierce as beasts
led by druids with runes ablaze
enchanted clouds of battle rage
bards a-singing their battle staves.

the whistling whirls of deadly slings
blades of bronze that bore such sting
fey blessed men with red-eyed gleam
blood chilled cries and raging screams.

a terrible foe to those who seek
to claim the lands beneath their feet
for no other tongue can ever sate
the bloody hunts of Celtic fate.

alas like winds they fade amiss
driven and chased like hunted beasts
all but forgotten in dreams and songs
as the last spell leaves the druids lungs.

against a foe unmatched they fell to rest
as javelin and blade doth rend to shreds
the march of progress on disciplined roads
doth sweep aside the enchanted groves.

they live now in faeries' eaves
memories of times that never sleeps
as their songs enchant their spirit seeps
into the blood of kin sundered by deeds.

"we sing to the lords, the huntsmen who sleep"
"an oath bespelled by blood and by deed"
"under sacred groves will once again"
"dance the Woad with blue painted skin."

A gaze
beyond sight
beyond vision
across the tumults of time.

A plunge
into past
into origins
lost to the centuries.

Footsteps
of a man
a visionary
the progeny of histories.

The tales
of his times
his ancestors
and contemporaries.

His travails
across states
across nations
into foreign cities.

His paths
crosses deserts
mighty rivers
untold boundaries.

His quest
to seek answers
unveil legends
understanding diversities.

His wisdom
in valuable lessons
handed down
for posterity.

A tale
of Herodotus
the cronicler
of times and histories.

In the mountains of the far east
in the lands of central Asia
there once was located a valley
populated by two tribes of warriors

"Yaqjud" was one named
the other called "Maqjud"
tribes of such violent means
that their tales are full of terrors

none dares to tread near
for within that dreaded vale
"Yaqjud-Maqjud" would let loose
on any that wanders close

such is their wicked and evil ways
that the lands over and beyond
are left behind abandoned in haste
none dare to settle anyplace here on

as the years drifted by
then comes the time of great Alexander
a great general gifted by god
a man destined to legends of valor

in his march across the world
conquest and victories in his wake
came Alexander to that vale
to meet with the tribes of "Yaqjud-Maqjud"

appalled he was by their devastation
such callous disregard for nature and humans
even he in his voracious campaigns
left rule and order in lands he conquered

reason he tried to inflict a settlement
and when that failed he resorted to coercion
but of no avail was his efforts to them
his words and actions gave no resolution

so Alexander pondered upon "Yaqjud-Maqjud"
until at last he decided to imprison them both
a dome he envisioned upon inspirations by God
to seal in the malcontents under metal and earth

a trench was dug around this vale of dread
to be filled by molten bronze, gold, copper and lead
a barrier of metal a hundred paces in stead
a wall a prison in the vale "Yaqjud-Maqjud" to be kept

after the massive walls were erected
screaming and howling was "Yaqjud-Maqjud"
damning the world and Alexander included
to suffer their wrath after their freedom concluded

then Alexander had his armies cast
molds of spherical cut dome pieces
giant structures to be contructed
to build a dome upon the walls that rises

piece by piece and one by one
the dome came to shape and the valley sealed up tight
amidst the howls the screams of "Yaqjud-Maqjud"
then earth was piled upon dome to seal their plight

imprisoned were the twin tribes
these arbiters of devastation
as Alexander sets a guard
upon the site of their domed prison

off went Alexander to his conquest of the world
until later was all forgotten
of the prison and "Yaqjud-Maqjud"
the watch he task to keep are left unbidden

while we forget this tale of dread
"Yaqjud-Maqjud" in their prison sleep did not
scratching and eating their way through
tunneling the walls as they patiently dig out

as they are left imprisoned in the darkness
as monsters they became cannibals by need
as they worked tirelessly to break out
they eat their own dead as sustenance to their creed

as pale as death, nails sharpened by tasks
as hungry as hell, ravenous by need to feed
their teeth drips with blood of the dead they did eat
what terrors they become should into the world they freely slip

after destroying what was left in their prison their vale
they now look forward to devastate the world at bliss
what beast they will be what monsters from nightmare hails
the vanguard of "Dajal's" armies that one-eyed spawn of "Iblis"

for in the ending of days the time of Armageddon
shall the foul "Yaqjud-Maqjud" brings terror and bloodbath
as they are loosed onto this pristine earth
eating all in their wake consuming all in their paths

of those to be saved are only those who beheld to faith
remaining strong in their worships to God
or those who gave in to the "Dajal's" sweet staves
those who are lost forever to "Ibliss's" thrall

but these tales must wait till the ending of days
the stories that will resound upon Armageddon's wake
for now the horde of "Yaqjud-Maqjud" awaits
tunneling out of their prison's slate.

In the early days of faith
lived a great king named Abrahah
ruling his great estates
in his lands upon Arabia.

A great ruler
a majestic king
with a million subjects
seeing to his whims.

An army he has
mounted on elephants
numbering in thousands
what a sight beholden.

But with his wealth
and perilous might
comes the spectre of pride
the undoings of faith.

As Mecca's holy shrine
the Ka'abah was a prime
visited by the throngs
touched by thousands of pilgrim hands.

A great king was Abrahah
a follower of scriptured texts
but envious he was
of Mecca's great behest.

A monument he builds
to rival the Ka'abah
to pull away the trails
of pilgrims to his vale.

Alas but for naught
no one did even sought
to travel to Abrahah's
to the monument he create.

So enraged he became
that he seek to pound
the walls of Ka'abah
into bits on the ground.

A boast he made
mounting his elephants
a great army he led
to Mecca's sacred grounds.

Avaunt his soldiers
the elite of the day
marching through deserts
oases and Bedouin camps.

The Quraish lords of Mecca
were caught unawares
with caravans in trading
their kabilahs in disarray.

No army can they mount
to protect nor to defend
Mecca's sacred grounds
were exposed to Abrahah's lunge.

So the lords of Mecca
the kabilahs of Quraish
lift their hands in prayer
to God they did beseech.

So approached the army of Abrahah
to the sacred grounds of Mecca
trampling all in their path
with great tremors in their wrath

As they drew nearer
God did send and dispatch
the force of heaven's will
to seal Abrahah's fate

Giant birds of prey
ladened with stones from hell
covering the desert skies
with a rain of fiery hail.

Upon both elephant and men
do rain these stones from hell
piercing through armor and skin
with shrieks too awful to tell.

Throughout the desert skies
echoed their deathly cries
ripped and rend to shreds
by the stones straight from hell.

So perished Abrahah
a once and mighty king
whose pride pulleth down
of his glory no one does sing.

So ends this tale
of Abrahah and his pride
a lesson to instill
lest as too often we forget.

The Alamo,
where they stood,
shoulder to shoulder,
outnumbered a thousand to one.

The bravest men of Texas,
and their hardy women too,
standing at the nexus,
of Santa Anna's troops.

Beyond that lonely line,
drawn in that grainy sand,
by a naked sabre blade,
their voice were of as one.

"We'll stay!" out comes aloud,
a death knell if there ever was one,
with a single messenger their redoubt,
buying precious time for Houston's advance.

So stood the Alamo,
alone and in defense,
the saviour of Texas,
against the horde beyond the river grand.

Their mettle was tested,
both women and the men,
against cannon shells and bullets,
bayonets and sabre thrusts.

Till one by one they fell,
Bowie and Crockett too,
giants among men,
sons of Texas true.

In the morning that follows,
the end of all their forms,
lying bloodied broken,
dead but of reknown.

As Santa Anna's army paused,
jubilant in their cause,
burning their dead victims,
in a pyre seen for miles.

So rides the men of General Houston,
rallying to their aid,
"For The Alamo!" their mission,
on Santa Anna's tail.

But beyond the victory
the triump of Houston's band,
lies the heavy price of victory,
the sacrifice of Alamo and it's men.

So sound the distant trumpets,
beat the silent drum,
bow your head in reverence,
as we remember their names resound.

The Alamo,
where they stood,
shoulder to shoulder,
outnumbered a thousand to one.

I am a man nothing more
ordinary and mundane.
With some wit a dash of lore
and a penchant to entertain.

But my hopes my glory
lies in martial dreams.
Oh how I wished literally
to burst history's seams.

To return and discover
the glory that war does bring.
Of honor and of valor
Oh! how sweetly will battle sing.

To ride the windy steppes
with the hordes of Genghis Khan.
Conquering the cities of Europe
with Attila and his Huns.

To be knighted by King Arthur
questing with his knights
For Charlemagne donning armor
a truly splendid sight.

To serve with Alexander
on his march across the world.
To follow Julius Ceasar
in his conquest of the Gauls.

To wield a sharp katana
with the samurais of Tokugawa.
To unify the kingdoms of China
under it's first divine emperor.

With Agamemnon swords drawn
onwards to Troy for Helen of reknown.
Arriving with Athenians in the dawn
to the battlefields of Marathon.

These countless tales of yore
the stories of untold valor.
Alas! only in dreams or literature
can these tales I really savor.

Upon the walls of Carthage
in manicured Persian gardens
within temples of the Greeks
on the road with Roman legions

my thoughts and imagination does seek
the pinnacle and pitfalls of ambition
the triumph of empires over the meek
the rise and fall of nations

upon the tips of bloodied spears
in the clashing of swords upon bare shields
the flights of arrows and javelin hurls
the blood well-spilt upon the fields

across the counting of the years
in the writings of history's quill
spreads a vista of terror and tears
the price of power that we so wield

along the meanderings of the Nile
upon the tides of the Mediterranean
following the Indus in its guile
along the ridges of the Andean

silent ruins that marks the miles
of mankind's route to reach for reason
history's attempt and concerted try
to ascend and forge a civilized existence

in the Oracle of Delphi
within the chambers of Amun
in the annals of prophecy
hidden in sacred tombs

the secrets of divinity
a glimpse of tomorrow looms
sins of the past its progeny
the price of future's boon

upon the tongues of teachers
in the scribblings of scribes
within the lectures of elders
upon the poets' artistic stride

the songs and tales that gathers
the constant prevailing of tides
trickling sand that measures
every hour that existence bide.

within splendours of abandoned cities
on sleeping pigments upon lost scrolls
inside the dreams of slumbering deities
tales and legends passed down from the old

timeless lessons of antiquity
whispers of truth countlessly told
pearls of wisdom transcending eternity
for all to wonder, reap and behold.