Ideologies warped and
adapted for perverted actions,
Flags flutter with words
of hatred and worlds of threat.
Hidden within fallacies attached
to a religious fervour,
This movement of terror
laughs into our fearful faces.
Brandishing swords and
spitting out venomous chants,
They wilfully degrade and devastate
lives without mercy.
Restless in the presence
of pleas towards understanding,
Populations humiliated and
violated by depraved activities.
Generations forever
impacted by this world-wide scourge,
Ethnic cleansing seeks to
eradicate inherited traditions.
This vile righteousness contaminates
individual opinions,
Promises of power and a richer
afterlife attract gullibility.
Foot soldiers prowl desert
sands and most city walkways,
This idealism detonates
without warning its foreboding.
Droplets of blood trickle
upon peaceful sandy beaches,
Evil crouches to devour the
vulnerability of all innocence.
©Copyright Eileen T O’Neill 29/06/2015
I thought that was a lovely read.
ReplyDeleteFlags flutter with words of hatred and worlds of threat.
ReplyDeleteHidden within fallacies attached to a religious fervour,
These lines are so powerful and speak of a terrible truth.Our world is full of fanaticism.. people are so obsessed with religion that they have forgotten what humanity really is. If we could just learn to accept and respect each other; put aside our differences, then a lot of problems can be avoided. I hope that this will happen very soon! Amen.
Beautifully executed!
Lots of love,
Sanaa
The tragedy of stolen minds and youths can be corrected.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's really difficult to weigh things. Which is right? which is wrong? and the affected is most of the times the innocent who will follow their leaders...
ReplyDeleteThis is a frightening poem, Eileen; but it so well expresses what is happening in the world today. Evil is so rampant. The last line says it all!
ReplyDeleteCrouching evil ... a haunting extended metaphor - thoughtfully and skillfully rendered, right up to - and including - the chilling, and achingly evocative, last line.
ReplyDeleteI read your words and feel like weeping. It's hard to remember benevolence when evil is so rampant. But, we musn't lose hope.
ReplyDeleteIdeologies--of religion and government--certainly degrade and devastate lives. "Righteousness" can often be the foundation for wrong, as you've detailed in this piece.
ReplyDeletevery dark and so powerful...the poem reminds me of Yeats' "The Second Coming"...great lines Eileen...
ReplyDeleteA powerful poem that really hit its mark....'This vile righteousness contaminates individual opinions'. Truth!
ReplyDeleteDonna@LivingFromHappiness
I guess you are back from China :-)
ReplyDeleteLovely write
ZQ
Oh I think our minds went to the same events here.. devastating, and those flags seems to become important in spreading hatred.
ReplyDeletesuch a powerful piece of writing Eileen. Makes me weep--
ReplyDelete