Lay by the meadow on the river's bank
the bones of the warriors of differing rank;
where stands a thousand red flowers in bloom,
where lays underground his forgotten tomb.
Through cities of fire and smouldering ruin,
light glinting on slanting glass under the moon;
I travelled not daring to let my guard down,
or my travel would end right here in this town.
I have seen through my lifetime the fall of my home,
my parents beheaded, my friends laid on stone;
now I wander through this perilous strife:
this war thought noble cares not for my life.
The countrymen fair of the Empire's lands
bit that which feeds them, the Emperor's hands;
and when that yoke responded they saw
to end its rule through fire and war.
The blood on the snow, the heather, the heather,
the Vestal's flame brought unto the tether
has burnt through the snow, the heather, the heather;
may a thousand red flowers bloom there forever.
Rendered asunder by terrible power,
if this town were Babel, they would be its tower,
but God's wrath wrought upon Babylon's awed
cannot compare to the wrath of Man's sword.
Yet through this city I wandered alone,
trying to stay alive and hope
and ponder whatever my people had done
to deserve this strife of moon and sun.
Then came a man all shrouded in cloak,
no sword by his side, no iron to stoke,
I placed my feet, I readied my steel,
he said "Calm yourself, there will be no need."
He let down his hood and his three eyes did blaze
like stars, like fire, like the sunset's haze;
and he turned his head, with his eyes so red,
and said, "I am the God of War."
The blood on the snow, the heather, the heather,
the Vestal's flame brought unto the tether
has burnt through the snow, the heather, the heather;
may a thousand red flowers bloom there forever.
I pleaded and begged him to answer me then,
while he stood there in silence, his hawk to my wren,
"I can see your divinity, with your blazing eyes,
so why must we fight until our demise?"
The God said to me, "What you want is no war?
With a click of the fingers there will be no more,
your people may rebuild this city again,
the Emperor will no longer murder your men."
At last, an end to the misery and death,
as he then clicked his fingers he'd ensure we'd be kept
in safety, so we could then rebuild our town;
but the Empire would no longer fall down!
The Emperor saw all the fighting did cease,
he ordered his legions not to follow in peace;
for although his men, like ours, could not fight,
he ensured every free man be bound in his sight.
The blood on the snow, the heather, the heather,
the Vestal's flame brought unto the tether
has burnt through the snow, the heather, the heather;
may a thousand red flowers bloom there forever.
The war that claimed my whole life did then cease,
I thought I could go back to living in peace,
but the Emperor made sure our lives would return,
to before the war I so foolishly spurned.
In anguish I turned to the God once more,
"This is not what I meant when I asked for no war."
He said, "You misunderstand why they had fought,
your mind was blinded by your furious thoughts."
"All that you wanted was an end to your pain,
you thought that a good life was simple to gain,
but with the ceasing of war, when it away you did send,
the bondage of your people now never will end!"
I understood what he wanted me to do,
for me to see sense, under this sky so blue;
but the blue turned to grey as we halted stood still,
for the Emperor's army was coming over the hill.
The blood on the snow, the heather, the heather,
the Vestal's flame brought unto the tether
has burnt through the snow, the heather, the heather;
may a thousand red flowers bloom there forever.
I looked at the God and said, "You know what to do."
With a smile, he clicked, and his cloak away flew
over his body, and then he was gone,
with me, stood there to face a thousand and one!
Sword against sword and shield against spear,
the bravest fell, and none of us felt fear,
for the Emperor's men were thinning in rank,
as their horses under the sodden mud sank.
A bright light appeared in the sky so grey,
cracking open the clouds, on that cold day in May
when my people's bravery did open the door,
and I finally understood the point of war.
His cloak fluttered unfurled in the cold breeze,
his wings by his sides, he lay in wait in the trees,
and the Emperor did not see him ready his knife,
then he took off his head in one clean swipe!
The blood on the snow, the heather, the heather,
the Vestal's flame brought unto the tether
has burnt through the snow, the heather, the heather;
may a thousand red flowers bloom there forever.
The battle was won, the army was routed,
and from across the field of battle he shouted,
"Look, look, this is what we fight for,
this is the culmination of war!"
So now by the meadow on the river's bank,
lay bones of the warriors of differing rank;
where stands a thousand red flowers in bloom,
where lays underground his forgotten tomb.
The people were free, the Emperor was dead,
his body laid to rot, right there by his head;
and though the battle was hard, though lives were lost,
for freedom there is no greater cost.
I never did see that old God again,
but I made sure the world knew of our valiant men
who fell in the field of battle that day,
by the thousand red flowers in the month of May.