Fodder for Fought

[tectak]

“Eat, drink, and be merry,
for tomorrow we shall die.”

(Well at least you dumb young fellas,
those who aren’t hanged for being yellow!
What would be the point of war?)

“For it is God we are fighting for!”

(if I the King should die?
After all, it is me you fools are really dying for!
this boy here will die, a dagger in the eye
if I died, what would be the point?)

“There you go lad, have another joint,
Go ahead, drink large of that good ale,

(Cheap stuff for these fools, all stale,
The good wine for me, but my cups dry,
There Chamberlain, catch the serving man’s eye,
I have a toast soon to make,
At least my gulp I’ll not fake)

My hearty brave soldiers all.”

(Although most of these will fall,
those young and dumb, just cannon fodder,
I’ll reclaim their signing gold when they’re martyred,
one of thirty, survive and be some use,
five of thirty will get the noose,
and the rest will be a dying wall of flesh.)

“Good lad, I’m sure you God will bless,
perhaps some day you’ll be a knight!”

(That made his dull eyes bright,
it will happen too, when dark is light.
I worry, to depend on these boys so blind,
target practice for the enemy line,
but they’ll delay them, so my archers can fire a volley.)

“What’s that son, oh yes the enemy is full of folly,
Thinking they can stand against our great fighting force,
have you seen your knight upon his horse?
Sir Who? Oh yes he is most ferocious.”

(Never heard of him, this boy is quite precocious,
at least for a lad of eight, he’ll never see nine,
he’ll be one of the first, cut down in the line)

“Quite now lads, I your king will make a toast.
To Thee, God’s Glorious fighting host,
Thou art strong as the land, as hickories.
Most surely with such soldiers as thee…. uhm…..….ah!
God will grant Thou the victory! Amen.”

“God Save the King, To the King’s good health!”
(Forget God boys, the King looks out for himself!)


©2012 Erthona

The opener is not an aid to understanding the motivation for writing this piece. Poor Isaiah is oft' misquoted by we drunken young brits (male) when embarking on a period of joyous debauchery and that is what I expected here. So...what to say.
Overwhelmingly this reads like an allegory. Abandonement of rhythm should never be half-hearted to the extent that it appears accidental and so what we have here is a full blooded rant masked by particularity of style. Nothing wrong with that.....the critic, however, is in a quandary. No,that is erroneus. THIS critic is in a quandary. Whatever decision I may make on the value of the piece hinges upon my understanding of the intent. I do not understand so perhaps I should shut the fuck up!
Tell me more, my friend, and I will needsay less..
PS. I have read it eight times so what's to not like?
Best as always,
Tectak