On the Eve of War

by John Drudge / October 16th, 2022

In the weeping hours
Of silence
In the low milling light
Of tomorrow’s prayers
Speaking softly
Into corners
Down the empty
Passageways
Of yesterday’s secrets
Lorded over
By heartless thieves
And battened down
By callous masters
Leaving tears
In the sheets
And shedding fright
From our souls
With another
Windless breath
On the eve
Before war

John Drudge is a social worker working in the field of disability management and holds degrees in social work, rehabilitation services, and psychology. He is the author of six books of poetry: “March” (2019), “The Seasons of Us” (2019), New Days (2020), Fragments (2021), A Long Walk (2023) and Sojourns (2024) . His work has appeared widely in numerous literary journals, magazines, and anthologies internationally. John is also a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee. He lives in Caledon Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children. Read other articles by John.

This article was posted on Sunday, October 16th, 2022 at 8:03am and is filed under Poetry.