The Gates of Hell

They have once more
Opened the gates of hell
To unleash their demonic rage
Upon the people who have the audacity
To wish for a life
In the land they have inhabited
For hundreds of years.

They have once more
Opened the gates of hell
To release the monstrous emissaries
Of duplicity and slaughter
Whose diplomatic vocabularies
Contain no words
For truth, for honor, for justice, for decency.

They have once more
Opened the gates of hell
To send forth young men and women
With their titanium spines,
Their metallic grins,
Their white phosphorous nightmares,
As satanic avengers against those
Who dare to dream
Of residing peacefully among the olive trees
Of their ancestors.

They have once more
Opened the gates of hell
In their own minds,
In their own hearts,
In their own souls,
In their own lives,
And will come to realize
That those gates once opened
Do not close.

Buff Whitman-Bradley’s poetry has been widely published in print and online journals. He has a new book coming out from Finishing Line Press, A Friendly Little Tavern Somewhere Near the Pleiades. Read other articles by Buff.