Conflict

I dwell, fox-holed, warm beneath once-green leaves.
Snug and secure, I curl in a corner.
Silently, I fester in the enveloping dark.

I grow in the minds of men.
It is there I make my den.

Sparks fly when I venture outside.
I bring division, discord – the breaker of worlds.
I sow despair, grief grows. My weeds are of black.

I corrupt the hearts of men,
It is there I make my den.

I am mantled in heavy robes,
The ancient uniform of my dank kingdom.
Sheet armour – proof against steel.

I sculpt the minds of men,
It is there I make my den.

Underneath this velvet surface
Hidden depths
Shimmer with surprise.

I am the psyche of men,
It is there I make my den.

I plot and scheme
Voracious, ambitious
Glory is what I crave.

I prey on the minds of men,
It is there I make my den.

I feast on the bones of war.
I eat proud men;
Glut on their entrails.

I devour the hearts of men,
It is there I make my den.

I build great machines of battle
Enslave armies of people,
Bend them to my will.

I break the spirit of men,
It is there I make my den.

I dream of power.
Machiavelli, Tsung Tzu
Are nothing to me.

I control the minds of men.
It is there I make my den.

I bask in conceits
And flatter politicians,
Gullible, dishonest cheats.

I infest the minds of men,
It is there I make my den.

I spread rumours like venom.
Dreams the powerful hear
In their troubled, guilty sleep.

Words shape the minds of men,
I use them to make my den.

If you have enjoyed my poetry on this blog, my new collection, “Little Green Poetry” is now available from Lulu – – £4+P&P (paperback) or £2.50 (for e-book readers)

You can still order copies of my first collection, “Little Red Poetry” from http://www.leftbooks.co.uk or http://www.lulu.com – again for £4 (pb) or £2.50 (as a pdf for e-readers).

I hope you enjoy reading my poems, and, as always, all proceeds will go to help build the fightback against corporate political parties, to build a voice for the millions, not the millionaires.

To find out more about my politics, visit the website of the Committee For A Workers’ International, which is engaged in struggle in around 50 countries worldwide.

Tags: anti-war, personification, poetry