Hearken to the sound that rides upon the bitter wind
Deep within the gathering gloom
comes the sound of war and doom
Hearken and woe, grieve and despair
for the dogs of war are loosed again
The long forgotten pounding drum
bellows out in deafening din
Men of glory, men of honor, rush forthwith to your arms
Siren screaming, beguiling, calling sounding out all alarms
Man has set aside his mercy, cast off all his books of learning
Now shows through his thin veneer all his deepest, darkest yearnings
Rising now from in the ground, red eyes glowing, shrieking, howling
a scream that rents the tortured night
teeth a gnashing, spitting, growling,
Comes that man thought so long dead
haired and furred from foot to head
With a growl, uncaring shrug, nary a thought or realization
he casts off that cloak of civilization.
Man has risen to conquer again.
Older piece written for oral reading