i heard it whispered by the wind
weeping o'er seas and land
i heard it sighed by the child
building castles in the sand

i heard it spluttered as he killed
as they fell as one unmanned
amongst the corpses as they piled
death at home in devil's land

i heard it muttered midst the trees
shivering naked in the breeze
i heard it buzzed between the bees
among the blackbirds from overseas

they'd seen him with his scythe in hand
they'd seen him threshing to and fro
they'd seen him travelling 'cross the land
with swing and strike and swipe and blow

how the mighty fell before him
weak and meek 'uns too
how their life was torn from limb
as they struggled to pull through

as they struggled 'gainst the *******
jaws of gaping hell
as they wrestled 'gainst his plucking
cord of bell and knell

as they fell into the clutches
of the scion of diablo
defenceless they 'gainst his touches
'gainst his charge on Death Row

they whispered secrets in my ear
chilling message ringing clear
better the rampage of G-d's courier
than predator of war-nuclear

better to fall into the hand of the L-rd
then the hand of man*
who kills 'n plunders with raving sword
without G-d's merciful plan

but my blindness saw as futile
the death of those five million
their suffering meaningless 'n brutal,
the adults, babes and children

but who am i to stand and judge
from my vantage here on earth
mine is but to drudge 'n trudge
till I'm too pulled to berth

there, beyond the death corporeal,
there beyond the silent sleep
beyond the clutch of snake primordial
the swing of soundless reap

i'll join the wisdom, joy supernal
beyond all peeve and pique
within the light of One Eternal,
Whose Name I dare not speak