Battle axle

Battle axle

Oct 23

Written By Michelle Urrea

OLD BATTLE AXES LIKE ME,

OH,

YOU KNOW THEY DON’T MAKE ‘EM LIKE ME NO MO,

THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR IS SPARE,

AND THE BATTLES FOUGHT ARE NOW THE OLD.

I WAS THINKING ABOUT YOUR SMILE,

I WAS HOLDING ON TO A TATTER,

I WAS REMEMBERING HOW THIS WAS,

BACK,

BEFORE,

AND WHEN IT MATTERED.

OLD BATTLE WOUNDS LIKE THIS,

AND THEY HAVE ALL BUT HEALED WITHIN THE SEAM,

NO MORE BLACK AND NO MORE GOLD,

NO MORE CAT CALLS FOR THE OTHER TEAM.

SOON I’LL CRUNCH THE BROWNING LEAVES,

I’LL FEEL THE WARM,

AUTUMNAL SUN,

AMONGST THE COLD,

AMONGST TIME’S THIEVES,

BOTH THE CRISP

AND THE FECUND.

NOW A PASSING SHADOW

OF WHAT WAS

ONCE BOLD.

IF YOU THINK YOU’RE GONNA DO IT RIGHT,

YOU’LL BE THINKING THAT FOREVER,

AND WHEN THE DARKNESS STARTS TO FALL MIDDAY,

-2-

YOUR LAST THOUGHTS WILL BE FOR NEVER.

WHEN YOU SAID THOSE WORDS TO ME,

THAT CAME FROM EONS PAST,

SO FAR BACK,

THAT WE WANTED TO BE OLDER,

BEFORE WE’D WONDER HOW THIS CAME SO FAST.

I’M NOT ONE

TO WANT ALL MYSTERIES SOLVED,

OR EVEN THE BLUEPRINTS IN A TUBE,

JUST DON’T WANT TO BE MY OWN JAILOR,

BLAMING ELSE

FOR MY PERMISSIONED RUBE.

NO.

NO LONGING FOR THE DAYS GONE BY.

IT WOULDN’T BE THE SAME RIGHT HERE,

TODAY.

CONQUERED FIELDS AND HILLS WERE WARRED,

REQUIRING NEITHER MIRTH

NOR DEEP DISMAY.

AH, IF I HAD SAVORED THE CREST THAT CAME,

EVEN MORE THAN I DO NOW,

WHEN THE OCEANS BROUGHT THE WAVE OF YOU,

CATCHING MY BREATH,

WITHOUT MY EVEN KNOWING HOW.

UNDERNEATH THE DIRT AND ROOTS,

UNDERNEATH THE DAYS GONE BY,

UNDERNEATH THE EMPIRES LOST,

UNDERNEATH THE SHOT FOR SKIES,

-3-

WE HAD WAITED FOR THIS MOMENT,

AND WHEN THIS MOMENT FINALLY CAME,

WHEN THIS OLD BATTLE AXE

WAS NOT YET OLD,

BEFORE WE WERE TO NEVER

BE THE SAME.

IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTAIN THE SWELL,

THE EFFERVENSCENCE AND THE SPRITE,

I CAN SEE HOW I BECAME

THAT BATTLE AXE,

AND WHY FOR THIS I CAME

TO FIGHT.

WHEREVER YOU ARE,

WHEREVER WE WERE,

AND WHEREVER WE WILL EVER BE,

THANK GOD WE WON’T NEED OLD BATTLE AXES,

AND THE BATTLES THAT WE HAVE SEEN.

THOSE TIMES WERE GRAND,

AND THOSE TIMES ARE DONE,

AND THESE TIMES WE SEE WHAT’S NEW.

AND WHO WILL BE BRINGING THE NEXT FIGHT DOWN,