"To Hell and Back"
a poem by G.E. Nordell

skipping the reception
by choirs and Saint Peter
outside the gated community
called Heaven

in the blink of an eye
the channel changed
and this subjective World
was no longer fun

we may each be Prometheus
endlessly condemned
to struggle up the hill and
watch our efforts roll back down

Man's ceaseless Game gets bloodier
and none can stop to rest
what happened to the promises of
Happy Golden Years?

bloody melee, east or west
attackers on all sides
take your licks and lick your wounds
damage ne'er in doubt

yet a mighty fortress can exist
where Reason holds at bay
all the force of Hell-ishness
– our true job just to Play

a New Game rises, as the crowd
resists the Devil's spawn
we'll stomp them dead and chop them up
and do our little dance

this Hell derives from bowing down
from letting Fear prevail
the antidote is standing up
to halt the reign of Hell

chop them up, and box them up
and pile the boxes high
then off to Play in meadowed sun
to share the fun – and die

© Gary Edward Nordell 2008, all rights reserved

contact the author

back to G.E. Nordell's Poetry Index    |    back to G.E. Nordell's Writings Index