and he came down from high

and surveyed his lands

wiping a bit of sand out of his eye

from his ten-thousand–year nap

 

things had changed

since he had last seen this world,

he noted sadly.

the beat of wardrums grew ever stronger

as he watched

the women covering the eyes of their children

but not their trigger fingers

and heard the incessant refrain of

god will protect us

god is on our side

and we will be victorious

 

as bombs rained from the skies

like wish-seeds from a dandelion

he wondered where he had gone wrong

 

he climbed back on high

sighing heavily

and once again, closed his eyes

and weighted them down with sandbags

in preparation for ten thousand years more.

with a crystal tear tracing down his wizened face

Peace wondered how he’d been so forsaken.