As the Samaritans carried away the spoils of Elam

In a war establishing the context by which we are known

In barbarism for gold, power, and honour

Homini homini lupus

We destroy each other for the flank of dominion and glory

We gather the pack, the ranks, to be remembered

To live forever in the minds and mouths of history

Immortality in culture

Ironically the way to describe lab grown cancer

A malignant growth in the vats of narrative

Uncontrolled and uncaring

There may be no atheists in a foxhole

But there truly is no Gospel on a parapet

Hearts wrapped in cheveux de frise marching down civvy streets

Stepping over cold meat as we pluck their tickets off

To send home as the bells sing their Armistice

We walk wary of the crow’s feet and cricket balls

Imshi with your, “be bold band of brothers”

And your, “Once more unto the breach”

We are done we are gone as one last benefit

And a round of flak drops the Forty-Tens

I say Fini Kaput

Unvarnished soul

Torn from its place on high

For what offense

Ambition?

One third followed suit

Seeing the truth in his lies

For what reason

Immortality.

I see you react as my hand touches your face

Calloused with the wrongs I have done

As I look past your eyes to what's behind

I see your soul through your window pane

I see the pain, I see you

Told to stand up straight and don't show it

To sew closed the sinews of a soul

That simply wants to shout out

Just keep this in mind and hold it close

The sun may shine brighter than the moon

But the moon shines enough

To guide someone's path

Especially when they are most in need

No one ever asked why they are so happy

But the empathetic glow of the moon

Shines brighter when the world is darkest

This land is our land this land is your land

the greatest melting pot of citizens since Rome

is just a laboratory of vats stuffed with rats

floating in the stew of equality and self assurance

scratching tallies in the case for each passing day

just to grasp the passage of time

just to etch away the message “I was here”

I was here

what does it matter

sure you were here

here among the billions of others

why are you special

you die like everyone else

you ask the same questions

as the light draws away from your eyes

the final crescendo at the end of life

the point at the end of each crescendo

the light at the bottom of the ocean

or perhaps the dark at the bottom of the light

the final wish to be remembered

immortality in culture

ironically the way they describe lab grown cancer

the festering growth of malignant cells

a tax upon society it is to be remembered

the weight of thought at all times

to be remembered or to be forgot

the final question

to echo the words I was here

or to fade away

to be or not to be

Lived unloved

Cells built you up

From the nothing

That you are

Not nothing in importance

But nothing in science

A number a statistic

Not a person or soul

But hear the words

Undone and unbound

You are more

Be not confused

It is not the why

For which you are born

But how you treat that life

Not the reason but

Your purpose and

Motivation pushed

By fate

Not controlled

By genes