The Musters For War


Mustering their courage,

mustering their faith,

collecting together

ready to charge,

ready to fight,

ready to kill,

ready to die

ordered

in order

they’re ready to go.


These vassals 

and workers

obeying the king

obeying their lord,

obeying their masters

obeying them all.


So strangers kill strangers,

friends die the same.

It’s when they pass muster

that death makes the call

to muster the ordered

at his command.


And when they pass muster,

that’s when they’ll charge

and that’s when they die

over and over

over and out

in order

when ordered 

again and again 

and again and again

again and again and again.


https://www.ekphrastic.net/the-ekphrastic-challenges/kate-vale-ekphrastic-writing-responses-curated-by-kate-copeland


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