and god looked down and he said
my child
my child
this is a war that i can not fight for you
my hands are tied
and yes you will lose your brethren
yes you will watch them fall
but i am here
i am here
and the soldiers looked up
they spread their arms wide
hands open
palms up
funeral pyres blooming across their skin
eulogies dripping desert dry eyes
my lord
my lord
they said
their voices shaking like mothers at their children's graves
you have not forsaken us
but you have not fought us
our hands are tied lord
our hands are bloodied
ropes dangle from our wrists like pericles' speeches
we can not praise what we have not seen
we can not take blessings from a benefactor
who can not
will not
visit our graves
will not dig the graves
will not build the coffins
gives blessings to the enemy
but requests our praise
our hands are tied
our hands are tied