kamikaze grappa
(the day peace broke out)

it felt like love
the day peace
broke out
yet the painter
chagalls goat
still played a violin

an egg
size
of a tower block
cracked its skull
to reveal
a carbon giant
crying onto a flame
it felt like love
but the clocks melted

an army
of
ants
turned on its heels
marching back
into the earth
to the abyss
they had come from
never to be seen again

the day peace
broke out
church bells rang
their toll
climbing
backwards

the priest made
a pea-green boat
to row back to babylon
accompanied
by a small girl
and boy
screaming

a smoke ran
through the streets
kissing the eyes
of the blind
that they may see
they also gave away
my last cigarette

trees shook
branches
wild
in an abstract manner
creating a wooden music
this in turn
created
an earthly tremble
it’s alive
it’s alive

blindfolded
citizens & subjects
helped the police
shiny jackboots
get behind
the line
spit and polish
burn all the books
when they knelt
they knew
all the words
but couldn’t hear
the music
the day peace
broke out

where fire
walked
the town folk
badge wearers
burgermeisters
good sons
daughters
good boys
and girls
looked at their
feet
as many fell
forwards
onto the pyre
the snap
crackle
and pop
caused the unwilling
collapse
of several
major governments
on the day
peace broke out

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Neil Sparkes is a Twitter: @NeilSparkes