Eyes and Hearts

Blood and destruction shall be so in use
And dreadful objects so familiar
That mothers shall but smile when they behold
Their infants quarter’d with the hands of war;
All pity choked with custom of fell deeds:
And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice
Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war;

–William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 1

Breathe deeply in the spring

Let the blossoms drift and fly

Dancing lightly on head and shoulders

As the robin warbles a dawn melody

 

Let the blossoms drift and fly

Glowing pink and gold in the morning sun

As the robin warbles a dawn melody

And darkness falls on dusty streets a world away

 

Glowing pink and gold in the morning sun

Shining on the pilot, duty bound and duty-burdened

And darkness falls on dusty streets, a world away

Where scarlet blooms bespeak the end of life

 

Shining on the pilot, duty bound and duty-burdened

Eyes in the sky, hearts on the ground

Where scarlet blooms bespeak the end of life

And the dogs of war snarl and fight

 

Eyes in the sky, hearts on the ground

Holding on, waiting for the command to fire

And the dogs of war snarl and fight

While little children play

 

Holding on, waiting for the command to fire

The pilot hopes for surcease

While the little children play

And the blossoms of pink and gold, turn red

 

The pilot hopes for surcease

But he listens to the command

And the blossoms of pink and gold, turn red

And a child dances, twirls, and stops

 

Breathe deeply in the spring

The blossoms drift and fly

Cry. Havoc.

A child dances and stops.

 

This is in response to the Secret Keepers prompt using these words:

Drift/Breathe/Light/Hold/Life

I started out thinking about my neighbor’s dogwood tree, but then my mind went to a movie we saw last week, Eye in the Sky.  The movie stars Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman (his last film), among others. It involved a drone mission and discussions of when moral choices outweigh tactical decisions. I heard Helen Mirren discussing the movie here. 

 

© Merril D. Smith 2016

 

 

NaPoWriMo: Earth Day

 

Embed from Getty Images

“And this our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything. I would not change it.”

–William Shakespeare, As You Like it

 

The robin sings on Earth Day morning

Songs of love, and calls of warning

Stories heard in brooks and trees

Stories we must try to heed

Before it is too late

Yet, look, the

Full moon

Shines

Brightly

On us all

The fox and owl

The polar bear, too,

Though ice melts at the poles

And coral reefs are bleaching

Still tonight we’re here together

And Robin will sing in the morning

 

NaPoWriMo, Day 22   A bit late, but it’s been a busy day.

Today’s challenge: A poem for Earth Day.  Happy Earth Day and Happy Passover!