Great Song

Every barbarian dreams
of sacking the cradle of civilization,
of being remembered with Genghis Kahn
and Alaric of the Visigoths.

Whether riding
out of the wastes of Mongolia,
the depths of the Black Forest
or the plains of Texas,

Every barbarian dreams
of his Rome to conquer,
his Babylon to plunder,
his Celestial City to level to the ground

Of history’s celebration
of his contempt for his victims,
for the upraised voices of nations
and his smirk of triumph over them all.

Jon Taylor lives in Nashville, TN. He can be reached at taylor.jon440@gmail.com. Read other articles by Jon.