There is little light

There is little light

To spare

The sky is solid

The sun, enveloped in cloud

Kept in isolation

Hidden from the morning

A stern inquisitor

Always finding fault

Beating a drum

Hurting the eyes

Hunting the heavens

For starmen

And great bears

Elephants are nearer to me

My godly king.

The sea whips at the rocks

Torturing the life

Out of ship bones

Breaking stones

As easily as cracking walnuts

Leaving dead shells

Once alive alive-oh

Piled along the seashore.

War dead

Sacrificed for a beachhead

Crushed beneath

A hundred horses hooves

Piratical stallions

Never short of confidence

Stealing a march

Pillaging

The beating hearts

Of women and babies

There are few prisoners

Everything is swept away

Dashed against the wall

Pummelled and pounded

Smashed and splintered

Ground into dust

So fine

It is filtered

Through an hourglass

As time slips

Slowly out

Between spineless fingers.