Catherine Hales

history lesson

cherish this         lights coming on         understanding
the deep conceit that's the thing         just
for effect         & cause as well         armies
manoeuvring on a thistly hillside with nothing to drink & stones
in their shoes         wheel about         pikes flash
but it's clouding over & all the glamour's
leaching from the scene         cut         add music 

who's monitoring this         splicing loose ends
together to make a continuous narrative
just won't wash         get the story straight
or the hired underlings'll just sod off in disgust
there we have it         any general's
only as good as his people skills         archers
gather along the curtain walls rubbing their palms

Copyright Catherine Hales 2013

also by Catherine Hales: from city state