Mired

By Cliff Lake

 

Mired

 

Muddy waters,

Hidden hazards,

Smoke and haze,

And through it all,

Strident voices crying imaginary woe.

 

They wandered the broken landscape,

Scavengers they were called,

Parasites and scroungers,

Yet they only desired to live.

Their clothes were poor but sturdy,

Good enough for the work deemed their station.

Hard muscled they became,

Built rough,

And living rougher.

 

Mists and mirrors,

Fogs and feints,

Deceits and despair,

And through it all,

Invocations against each other.

 

They worked the blasted earth,

Menials they were named,

Unworthies and unwanted,

Yet still they were used.

Their eyes were clear and unhardened,

Good enough to see through lies told too often.

Hard willed they became,

Numerous,

And growing stronger.

 

Moans and accusations,

Complaints and threats,

Empty promises and failures,

And through it all,

The gibbering fear that they will be seen.

 

They will be seen.

 

Cliff Lake 2/18/2025

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2025

Location: Washington, DC, USA

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