The conclusion of a century

By Peter Woodgate

 

Dawn breaks with breathtaking beauty

A golden glow from mountain to moorland

The sun’s rays settle on Earth’s loveliness,

Illuminating superior civilisations of the world.

 

City after city awakes,

To find affluence, squandered,

Veiled by exhausted pyrotechnics,

And urinated merriment.

 

Last night’s celebrations

Lie in the gutter,

Crushed and discarded,

Sunlight shimmering from twisted shapes.

 

Deep into war-torn territories

The morning sun glistens,

On a child’s tearstained cheek

And the barrel of a gun,

With a magazine of death,

Contributing wealth,

To superior civilisations

Of the world.

 

Copyright Peter Woodgate