Victories retain the
stench of death.
Each is cause for gratitude, not joy.
Those who win are fated to destroy
Every grace whose beauty gives them breath.
Remember those who fell on every side,
And grieve not just for those you call your own.
No torturer or tyrant dies alone;
So may you weep for every fratricide.
Death is no fit dwelling place for pride,
And hatred's not a passion to enjoy,
Yet all who feel have reason to
atone.
Copyright by Nicholas Gordon. Free for personal or non-commercial use.