wolf’s tail

GUILLEMOTS AS OBELISKS ©edenbray1988

Make way for the standing wolf who made his mark
in better times of government once broad
once strong and courteous in his-and-her land
the beauteous, the coven in which now we stand
to renegade upon the other yet strain to listen
yonder for his strident call who lifts tall the tail
to call us from the plains and fells once more
and gather thus and howl of all that we have lost
howl for the shopkeeper and the public house
the landlords, the independents, the working class
who worked for themselves – guardians of our freedom
howl for the schoolteacher and the nurse
who each day are victims of societies declension
howl for the disappearing poet strangled at birth
the worm of subversion riddled his verse
her sonnet garden lies tattered, forlorn
graveyards deserted, vitriol spewed upon her lawn
howl for your mother who was born to grief and sorrow
for the ambitious and zealous tormented
at memory of how much they must borrow
to pay the debt of the obsequious and hollow
howl for your brother who has given up the struggle
howl once, howl twice, howl for the sacrifice
of soldiers who die believing in honour
as nations collide betide their politicians lies
howl at the sea that rises to cover the land
leaving silty deposits written in sand
mene mene tekel upharsin
at the edge of time where seabirds cluster
howl for brother mowgli at traditions gate
the march of humanities enemy is change
for change sake which becomes one more atrocity
the education of children in school a hypocrisy
howl for your church of the faithful in confusion
at the purpose of faith or for why Christ died
as religions bluster over who God favours
their ministers labour for wealth or power
with no desire to save us, inspire us or love
no Lennon or the Beatles to set free the dove
peace a frightened bird exiled to la la land
alongside culture and history, art and belief
and tradition and mystery, intellect and reason
it is open season on anything of our vast past
stand upon the shores of Gulliver’s island
watch blandly the white whale whose name
Ishmael cannot remember shimmy past
howl for what we have lost

©edenbraytoday14.03.2024