In Time of War

1 May 2026

In time of war the blackbird sings
Across the sands of time
He knows he can’t be heard, although
He’s making perfect rhyme.
His voice remains a clarion call
To sanity, to those who fall
Upon the crumbling of that wall
And never seem to eat at all –
Unless it’s dust or shit or gall
Or bloodied guts or doggy maul –
In time of war our blackbird sings
And he has heard it all.

In time of war my blackbird hops
To catch another worm
He’s brisk and smart: there’s quite an art
To bashing its head in
He’ll dig and pick the dark earth quick
He’ll even cock a hoop
If tempted by another bird
To fight dominion, to be heard
Above the filth and din.

But see, there is a difference
Between the man and beast:
The lion mauls, the tiger’s teeth
Bite hard and fast, and underneath
The river’s scum there lurks the bum
The alligator’s secret fun,
His bodies and their grief.

In time of war we fight to win
In bundles of enormous sin
We shoot and moan, we pitch that drone
We know we’re ready to go home
But do we dare or might we care
I mean, in love and war all’s fair
So bring that fourth wave in.

In time of war my blackbird sings
Across the sands of time
He feels a bit ridiculous
He knows he’s out of rhyme
There’s every reason to be heard
He’s not another silly bird
He is our refuge and our prime
Our safety net and just in time
He is the human in our fall
And he has heard it all.

For the peace and sanity of my Woodstock garden where life thrives and blossoms in spite of the madness of war