Ending Times

Poem by: ShadyBrady

Reads: 605 | Likes: 4 | Shelves: 2 | Comments: 8

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Ooookay then

Ending Times

Driving into town this morning

Coming down off east bay ridge

I came upon the damnedest thing I've ever seen

A white horse on McCullough Bridge

Upon the steed a rider

upon the horseman’s head a crown

In the noble’s fist a mighty blade

Beneath his steely gaze a frown

Proclaiming “I AM PESTILENCE”

COME TO REAP WHAT IS DUE

TO HOLD TO ACCOUNT ALL IDOLATORS

TO BEGIN THE WORLD ANEW”

The stallion started forward

The rider’s sword was drawn

Cleaving through the throngs of traffic

That lined the bridge at dawn

Splaying blood and sparks and metal

Raining destruction and death surging on

Laying waste to the urban landscape

Until all signs of mankind were gone

He slew the lofty and the lowly

Mowed down the privileged and the poor

Laid low all of the temples of mammon

And left our civilization on the floor

When this divine destroyer was finished

He turned his fiery gaze upon me

“WRITE WHAT YOU HAVE WITNESSED

FOR YOUR SEED, BREED AND PROGENY”

Thus the rider did depart me

Having left his final warning

I picked up a piece of cardboard

And a charred stick of wood and wrote

“Driving into town this morning...”

Bcm

28 March 2020

Submitted: March 28, 2020

Fantasy apocalypse

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Comments

hullabaloo22

Brilliant, SB!

Sat, March 28th, 2020 8:13pm

Author
Reply

Ya know, I kinda like the way this one came around. Definitely not perfect, but probably the best thing I’ve written in quite a while.

Thank you for your kind comment.

Sun, March 29th, 2020 12:50am

ShadyBrady

Sorry. I submitted this one previously. But when I viewed the contest entry it was not formatted as I would have intended. So I submitted it AGAIN in the hopes that it would display properly. What they heck! $7.95 is the price of a couple of beers at the Mill Casino in Coos Bay. Oregon.

I’m not sure if this one is a winner, or not. But I didn’t think it had a chance all piled in a heap of words that looked more like some bizarre biblical disclaimer than a chunk of poetry.

Sun, August 16th, 2020 9:17pm

panteleon

Dear ShadyBrady, this subject of pestilence is very topical and I am happy to see that you have drawn your poem around (I think) one of the four biblical horsemen of the apocalypse.
Again your writing is rhythmic and jocund (It bounces along). Dare I say that I found it a little tongue in cheek? It reminds me a little of Moby Dick with you being the only survivor left to tell the tale.
Nothing new from me at present. Your last message was a little truncated (chopped off at the trunk or shortened!). I hope you are well.

Tue, November 2nd, 2021 6:10pm

Author
Reply

I’m having a veritable cornucopia of illnesses and assorted maladies this year. So far, the really nasty stuff seems to be behind me. A little more chemo and some physical therapy and I should be right as rain…whatever the hell THAT means.

I haven’t written much lately, a couple of random essays and the oddball Facebook post. But “Ending Times” is one of my favorites. I like the way it bounces around and comes full circle. I enjoy little things like that.

I barely managed to finagle a public school education out of our broken system and yet I spew forth words like a font of trite mediocrity and self indulgent muttering. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? You tell me.

Mon, November 8th, 2021 4:09pm