Crusade

When the days are done,
And never for naught,
And dead are all those who fought,
What answers could your questions incite;
O jury who never witnessed the fight.

Came raising ,came rising,
Upon carpets of gold,
Elders with children,
And the young with the old,
Each with a blade thrust in their heart,
All heroes untold,
Lost in this play, without a part .

How can you gather,
Proof of their choice,
Only ashes as victory,
And wind as their voice.
Will the earth with her face, be far too afraid,
Won’t she remember how dark and deep ran the red;
River upon river of perishing men,
Eternal fire, unending rain.

They dreamed of no tomb, nor temple when gone,
They hoped of no praise, nor aria to mourn,
The Gods that they prayed,
Were friends that lay dead,
Who had asked them to brave,
One more step ahead.

What faith can you claim,
O Judge of lost cause,
Which ask you to act,
And not to applause;
Like puppet with strings tied to the soul,
Like scarecrow with straw, to fill all the holes.

When the days are done,
And never for naught,
And dead are all those who fought,
What answers could your questions incite;
O Jury who never witnessed the fight.