John Vanderslice Follow

John Vanderslice
Emerald City
The Minaret
It’s the end of spring and light hangs on
Dripping over geraniums and humming bird wings
In the blaze of summer we’ll tap our weapons out to the cadence of a melody they sang at Normandy
It won’t be the same the again and we’ll just walk away it’s the end

We crossed on the ridge and cut their women down
I climbed up on the minaret and occupied the town
They scattered in the woods to gather up their strength
Dripping blood on the road and oh how the animals looked on
They all see how we’ve changed all the rules of the game

I can see both sides and it paralyzed me

An eye for an eye was a way to limit revenge
We’ve done away with all of that
Read how it all begins
It was written years before, same name, same war

I can see both sides and it paralyzed me inside