Decimate me

Gold cherry

By blighters rock

Fri, 24 Apr 2015
  • 3655 reads
14 comments
 

Decimation (Latin: decimatio; decem = "ten") was a form of military discipline used by senior commanders in the Roman Army to punish units or large groups guilty of capital offences such as mutiny or desertion. The word decimation is derived from Latin meaning "removal of a tenth". The procedure was a pragmatic, yet vicious, attempt to balance the need to punish serious offences with the practicalities of dealing with a large group of offenders.

 

See me wave

watch me float

on our bloated boat

then leave me

go to work

and do your best

not to talk about me.

 

When you come home

watch me die

watch me float

watch me sink

with your tea

imagine me on the seabed

my eyes and mouth agape

so others may beware.

 

When you have a drink

remember your leaders

justify my demise

decimate me for my mutiny

ridicule me for my desertion

sigh for my will to survive.

 

Have my people stone

and club me if you must

discipline me for dreaming

watch me die Roman style

but please don't blame God

I knew what I was doing

would come at a price.

Certificate 15
Poem
Miscellaneous

Comments

Submitted by Bee on

Made me cry. One of your best poems, and a great comment well said.

Bee

Submitted by EB on

Easy for us in our relatively secure lives to become complacent. This piece wakes the reader up with a punch. It's all about survival - or not.

Submitted by blighters rock on

Cheers Bee. Did this after reading Scratch's and Littleditty's pieces. It's looking more and more like planet prison for the lot of us. 

Cheers EB. Like you say, it's so easy just to let these things by with the throwaway thought that we're powerless to help.

Cheers eds for the cheeries.

 

Submitted by VeraClark on

Very powerful and done cleanly, too.

 

Submitted by blighters rock on

Thanks for reading, Vera and Bear

 

Submitted by denni1 on

Not too good at commenting, but l absolutely loved this.

Submitted by blighters rock on

Cheers Denni. I read your latest, Making the most of it, and enjoyed that too. You have a talent for cutting through the social divide that draws the reader in very visually. I'd love to see that one expanded.

 

Submitted by scratch on

This is our Facebook and Twitter pick of the day!

Get a fantastic reading recommendation every day.

 

Submitted by blighters rock on

Cor, thanks for the pick!

 

Submitted by scratch on

You didn't really leave much choice.

yes  Excellent poem.

 

 

Submitted by Canonette on

This pulls you up short, makes you look at something you would probably rather not.  You're always good on social issues, because you care about people, and we're used to our news stories being de-personalised by the media.

 

Submitted by blighters rock on

That's a lovely comment, Canonette. It's true that the media meddle with sentimentality to make us feel immune from responsibility, which in turn weakens our resolve to actually do something, other than pick up the phone and donate to shyster charities that pay their big bods rather than give to the cause. It's a business all in itself. Hope you're well.

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

It's too easy to disconnect from the suffering of individuals, you remind us that every victim has a life, just as we do.

Submitted by blighters rock on

Thanks for reading, Philip. You're right, it's way too easy but certainly gratitude assured when I see the feats others have to deal with.