The Sunday Whirl presents twelve words for us to use in a creative writing piece.
This weeks words are:
bell, mimic, blade, gaze, hills, jar, soothe, mind, stars, timid, beastly, sea
Elephant's Child supplied these words as well: Ripening, Turmoil, creation, vineyard, one.
The Fighter
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”
— George Santayana
He has had enough.
He stands, gazing out to sea.
Behind, the hills comfort him,
Vineyards with their ripening load
Offer a respite from the turmoil.
Above him, the stars look down
And also question ‘why?’.
For years he has fought the good fight,
But still they came, one battle after another,
Mimicking the waves, a ceaseless creation
His spirit and blade were razor sharp then.
His mind dwelling on the futility of it all now.
For years he has fought. And gained what?
No bell tolls for the start or finish,
Nor any bells ring for the fallen he has held
As they too questioned why they were dying?
He had no words to comfort them,
No words to soothe their troubled hearts,
Collateral damage in the unequal fight.
It was not for want of courage,
These were no weak or timid fighters.
But strong hearts were not enough to save them
The enemy, well resourced and ruthless,
Rebounds and returns, time over time,
A genie that will not be jarred or boxed.
He has had enough.
He stands, gazing out to sea.
Behind, the hills comfort him,
Vineyards with their ripening load
Offer a respite from the turmoil.
Above him, the stars look down
And also question ‘why?’.
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Your Wordle story is so poignant and thought-provoking. I love how you've woven together the themes of war, futility, and the human cost. It really makes me think about the complexities of conflict and the importance of questioning it.
ReplyDeleteMakes me think of the fight to save the planet from corporate greed.
ReplyDeletePowerful. Sad. And firmly based on truth.
ReplyDeleteYour poem is deeply powerful and haunting. The exhaustion of the fighter, the ceaseless battles, and the unanswered “why?” feel so strong! The way nature - hills, vineyards, and even the stars - witness the struggle yet offer no answers makes it even more striking.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I’m wrong, but I feel that you’re writing about your own battles in life, reaching a breaking point where struggle seems endless. That silent, unanswered “why?” - as if even the universe refuses to provide clarity or justice - feels so profound. Fighting never truly ends in life, except in death. Your poem stays in my heart, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Thank you for sharing it.