Monday, August 1, 2011

Magpie Tales Photo Prompt 76: Lessons Of History

Image:  Skip Hunt via Tess Kincaid

tennozan 
(great victory) 


they called you 
                  empire,
sun-ray samurai swords 
of radiant violence

slicing horizons 
severing vistas 
the cut of life 
and lives, 
                  yet - 

a rising sun 
is followed by 
dusk and dark: 

wheels of steel 
and blades of conquest 
rusted with recompense, 

the greatest 
victory. 




Poem © 2011 R. Burnett Baker 
Land of the Rising Sun flag image fromGoogle Images.

8 comments:

  1. mmm...yes especially in light of recent days...

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  2. We seem to forget the natural changes of life, the yin and the yang..your emphasis is right on! Beautiful work...

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  3. It's interesting comparing windmill blades to swords and the windmill's circle to Japan's rising sun flag. I never would have thought of that.

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  4. ..it's sad to think that darkness must first rule before one may be called victorious or attain some kind of victory.. your allegorical representations here is great and really amusing Rick! Thank you for the read!(:

    ~Kelvin

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  5. I must agree with Kelvin, it is always sad that loves of lives and darkness before triumph. Oh! I am simply not into wars. That is perhaps the reason why I don't play video games... LOL!

    But, a nice poem!

    JJRod'z

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  6. I liked the structure of your poem...
    Succint and nicely done :)

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  7. An unexpected take on the prompt, beautifully handled.
    — K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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