By Sean Dempsey, 10/09/23
Who threw the first punch?
It matters not.
But I DO remember
Today’s killing shot.
—
Some time ago…
After he pulled my hair
I kicked his shin
His teeth were bared
When he hit my chin
I pulled a knife
And stabbed his old dog
So he grabbed up a rock
And both war and dark fog
Engulfed my small world
Darkness, it twirled
Hell’s mists were unfurled…
He shattered my window
The rock hit my girl
Her head exploded
I screamed and whirled;
I howled, I hated
My tears unabated
I wasn’t a man
I wasn’t a beast
I knew I was damned
And cared not in the least
The monster had fled
I picked up my gun
I flew to his house
And found him on the run
I shot his young son
Spit his wife in the face
His brother came at me
At a furious pace
My family arrived
The brawl fought for days
My legs wound up broken
There was blood in the haze
My family brought friends
His family, some too
The battle raged on
There was killing to do!
Lines were divided
Like festering wounds in the mud;
Carved out with violence,
Carved out in black blood.
I hated, I seethed
I bellowed and breathed
I lusted for bloodshed
On raw hatred I fed
Oh, the enemy is ruthless.
They torture and maim
They’re inhuman, depraved
So we are the same!
Fight fire with fire
An eye for an eye!
They kill so we kill
They lie so we lie!
A bomb for a bomb.
A child for child
A mom for a mom
Then turn up the dial!
They kill ten of ours
We kill 20 of them;
The beauty of Mars
Is bloody mayhem!
They’re monsters, they are,
So it’s kill or be killed!
I’ll kill them all
Every last one
Young and the tall
Must all be undone
They’re villains!
They’re evil
They’re odious beasts!
They’re savage
They’re devils
They must all be deceased!
I’ll pluck out their eyes
I’ll wring all their necks
I’ll ferret out their lies
Mortem oppetere, vivat rex!
I will torture their wives
Their infants I’ll choke
I will end all their lives
With the deadliest stroke
I’ll blow up their homes
I’ll watch their skin burn,
And sing glorious poems
As the world turns.
How the fighting all started,
I still don’t recall…
But as God is my witness
As hateful God is my witness…
I’ll finish the task
I’ll bring an end to them all!
