Man did not heed the cloud, <br />the cloud looking like the hand of man <br />and I saw lightning falling from the sky <br />and it was manmade, <br />thunder that exploded in flame <br />came down and down again <br /> <br />and in the dark clouds of death <br />the sun was blotted out <br />the bright cobalt sky was torn away <br />and men died as if being dolls made of clay <br /> <br />but on the hands of the living <br />the marks, the shadow of Cain remained <br />as killers of fellow men, slaughters in war <br />of a enemy <br />decided by politicians <br />whose hands were covered in blood <br /> <br />and these soldiers were young once, <br />only boys just out of school, <br />whose manhood, humanity had been stolen <br />and now were bomb happy <br />half crazy soldiers <br />who wanted nothing more than peace, <br />who needed tranquillity <br />and on their knees knelt to the living God <br />and sought his presence <br />while coming back from the bush, <br />from war, the fires of hell <br /> <br />begging forgiveness for taking killing shots, <br />for launching rockets, mortars <br />and throwing grenades to remain living <br />and was now torn in body and soul <br />and never complacent <br />offering their lives to the Greatest of generals <br />not knowing how to dispel <br />their own suffering, memories <br />and overpowering guilt <br />that made some weep <br /> <br />and they trusted <br />that the gates of hell <br />and eternal damnation <br />would be smothered, quenched <br />by the blood of the One <br />who died for all <br />knowing that He did not die in vain <br />and offering Him the pain, <br />standing in His shadow <br />as mortal men <br />true to the living king <br />when the day of Judgement comes <br />as did the thief on the cross. <br /> <br />[Reference: The Shadow Of Cain by Edith Sitwell.]<br /><br />Gert Strydom<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-shadow-of-cain-a-reply-to-edith-sitwell/
