HeadQuarters

And I emerged
        from the void that is silence
        to erupt with fire
        over the horizon.

I smothered the tundra,
        creeping vines, and willow branches;
I laughed at hyenas,
        as they scattered from the ashes;
I claimed all the homes,
        and disowned the occupants;
I incinerated every treaty
        proclaiming peace and friendships,

And I returned
        from the blackened earth
        with vengeance and renewed desire
        to corrupt the liars
        hiding in the rafters,
        to have them ply their skills
        with half-truths
        for the vines to grow gullible opinions on.

Where the soft crusts will pluck their budding agreements from and nod along righteously,
Where the hardening weeds will feed their determined antagonisms through dribbling jowls.

You see,
        it was not your gardeners tending your soil for you,
        it was not your harvesters discarding rotten fruit,

It was I, bleeding into your brain
        delusions of division, chaos,
        and foolish pursuits.
        To have the lambs lie down in submission,
        To have the pack of dogs rise in retaliation,
and then to have,
        one-sided opinions flavouring the conversations,
        accusations based on hidden agendas,
        hard facts forgotten
        in exchange for soft truths comforting.

It was I all along
        with hand in the cookie jar
        laughing at every courtesy your enemy took from you,
        so that you could refill the jar with blame,
        and never see the hand that severed you from your own humanity.

This was my greatest achievement:
        To forever dissuade all from joining hands to grow peaceful prosperity.

And you all heard,
And you all listened,
And you all played a part in my raising of the lands, the destruction of temples, the raping of wives and daughters, the
murdering of fathers and brothers, the killing of your children,

While your beliefs grew, and grew, and reconfirmed all you believed you knew.

• 17/12/23; Brightwater