murmurs and shrapnel xxv

Teeth and scraps of bone
a completely new species
with a powerful bite
that roams the borders
and snatches at those
who try to enter or leave.

A beautiful princess
marries a powerful monarch
and dazzles the subjects
who are subdued by her charm;
now she’s bundled in silk
and scientists probe her bones
and wonder about her DNA.

Tales told by dead men,
a double helix that whispers
we hear
murmurs of strange things,
genetic mutations
of obscene origin.

Duty tore me
between my need
to be by your side
as you breathed your last breath
and your own words to me
to gain that freedom
you had always wanted;
so I’m sliding out of here
mixing with the shadows
and slipping over the border
into the barrens
a gift from me to you
or perhaps from you to me;
the tears in my eyes are for you
as I leave you behind,
knowing
I’ll never forget what you did;
may God keep you safe
until I see you again.

The leader watches
as his country begins
to break down
a row sharply escalates
and all that’s left
to defend the borders
is printed paper
and thermonuclear balloons,
they’re volatile at best.

– matt at shadow of iris

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