Song of Conquest
The craftsman takes from tree and rock
To shape in uniform dimension,
Hoarding all in one large stock
So might he plan for their ascension;
This goes here, and fitting there
A brick and board do so conspire,
In single compliment they dare
To raise from dirt a mingled spire.
Indeed, their task strikes noble pose,
For, gathering such idle pieces
To a greater project, shows
Their will in cuts and artful creases.
A tower high of shining steel,
Bright mirrors brilliant sunrise catching—
Lo, Man’s majesty made real
In effort past all others’ matching!
What, ho! the Sky, in jealousy,
Sends riders down to quell intrusion,
An angry King whose legacy
Feels threatened by a proud collusion!
Storming forth on raging steeds,
These knights charge swiftly toward the finger
Pointing like rebellious weeds
That through all seasons stubborn linger.
Their axes cleave and lances pierce,
Hoof-beats pound heavy on the glasses,
Letting in an onslaught fierce
Thick blood of dead and screaming masses.
Far below, removed from the grey
Of shattered panes and ravaged metal,
Past the smoke that blackens day,
Revives the borrowed earth and petal.
Scott Andrew Kass was born and raised in New York City and now lives in Pennsylvania. He has had his poetry published in various literary journals including Atlantic Pacific Press. He is the author of The First Scar, his first book of poetry self-published in August of 2025. His author website is http://www.scottandrewkass.com.
This is a well-crafted poem with creative imagery about destruction with the earth returning to earth and covering up what mankind has done on the surface.
Thank you, Roy. I tried to put Humankind’s innate hubris into the spotlight; I feel many are preoccupied with the final, impressive product rather than the reality that, ultimately, the Earth will simply take back what belongs to it in the end. I’m so glad you appreciate this work!
A modern Ozymandias. I especially liked the poignancy of the final line.
Yes! Ozymandias was a definitive inspiration for this poem. Whereas Shelley focused more on the futility of remaining in the collective memory of Humankind, I leaned toward Nature’s absolute apathy toward any marks of triumph we may make upon it. Thank you for reading!
You build plenty into this “Song of Conquest,” Scott. Supported by a few images, we can see man-made material construction at many stages of history, then the battle to achieve destruction from several angles. The sky or weather has ruined innumerable buildings, and recently “kings” or rulers have been able to launch an aerial attack even more destructive. Building upward has appeared a challenge and a way to promote human glory since Babel. But the contrasting forces of war and weather make their own conquests.
Tetrameter provides a nice line length for a work song that becomes a battle song when you reach the turning point signaled by “What, ho!” Good work.
Indeed, building upward seems to have long been a trend to establish some kind of primitive superiority over the world itself. It calms and humbles me to recognize that Nature will always bring even the tallest trophies down and redistribute their materials back from where they came. Thank you for taking the time to read this work!
So many grammatical inversions! A risk many of us are loath to take, because they fuddle clarity. The last line of the penultimate stanza dangles, lacking subordination. A comma after the previous line would have helped some. Skyscrapers seem to grow like mushrooms, and the Earth has every reason to be proud of them.
I appreciate your critique! I tend to write in the style of a few hundred years ago, when grammatical inversions were expected in poetry (and even often in prose). They are an aspect of poetry to me, something that sets it apart as an art form.
Thank you for taking the time to read my work.
Your poignant poem reflects the condition of humankind, with the passion to build and the passion to destroy….well done!
Thank you very much! I’m glad for the opportunity to have skilled classical poets read my work. This site feels like an oasis in a desert of “Instapoetry.”