He saw a lot of red in his days
Crimson against fair sand, russet hide
Scarlet against white flags, dark uniforms
He knew the color of the sky during bombings
He knew the hue of skin before death
What the soldier did not know
Was that the last minutes of life would be
The color of midnight, blackberries,
The ocean after dark, poppyseeds
In his final moments he grasped the
Black cloak of an enemy's minister
Buried his face deep in the ebony veil
While the priest clutched his bloodied hand
Repeating, over and over again,
"Jesus loves you, Jesus loves you."
Until the body slumped onto his worn shoes
And he kicked him back into the street
With the livid vengeance of the damned
