The Beast Awakens

The Beast Awakens

The beast awakens; now it must be fed.
The towers fell, the cycle starts anew.
It only slept; we knew it wasn’t dead.

At Abu Ghraib, the soldiers’ hearts are dead.
In battle all forget what once they knew.
The beast awakens; now it must be fed.

“Whatever it takes,” the president has said.
Only a dream could tell us what is true.
It only slept; we knew it wasn’t dead.

A scream is heard: masked men cut off his head.
In nightmares you believe it could be you.
The beast awakens; now it must be fed.

A man is leashed and by a woman led.
Her smile, blank-eyed, would chill the heart in you.
It only slept; we knew it wasn’t dead.

Again the blood of innocents is shed.
Hold on, hold on to what you know is true.
The beast awakens; now it must be fed.
It only slept; we knew it wasn’t dead.

by Ann Gearen