After we released the first of seals,
the fossil beast of white was loose.
The sky was pale and from the sea
we heard the waters groan.
The first of heats was bulbous pestilence
grown from swamps
mosquitoes, rats and flies.
The rivers filled with corpses. Rot.
But some of us survived
pretending we had found a cure,
and thus we broke the second seal.
The second of the heats was red
a righteous anger raising from the south.
and there were daggers, guns and
swords and bombs,
We fought and were
victorious because we lost
the least,
and therefore broke another seal.
The third among the heats was a black
starvation, when
from our soil too scorched
we could not harvest grains.
We were a few survivals
digging graves,
but being skin and bones we thought
that there was nothing left to lose
and thus we broke the last remaining seal.
The last among the heats was death,
a blinding paleness, lidless eye.
But only in the face of death
we realized:
the lamb was lost
we did it all ourselves.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Viktor Vasnetsov
After reading Brendan’s prompt on climate change at toads I could not avoid reflecting on the similarities between what we are doing and the descriptions in Exodus. I will link this poem to Poetry Pantryy as well, before going on a four week’s hiatus.
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July 15, 2017
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Brilliant write, Björn! Well done for the Exodus link, and some tremendous lines
Very grim poem to start your hiatus with, but it seems to be true. This also reflects writings in the Reverlation of Jesus Christ as told to the Servant John.
Brilliant and very apocalyptical, I likewise see the prophecy.
It does help to find the mythological background for this — both in apocalypse and redemption. Nothing can be healed that is not fully broken first though, and you achieve it.
Sadly so true….and from the comfort of my chair, I enjoy the eligance of your words. (it wasn’t always so)
Creepy, dude. But I love these sections:
“the fossil beast of white was loose”
“The sky was pale and from the sea
we heard the waters groan.”
“pretending we had found a cure,
and thus we broke the second seal” (I like picturing these as sea animals)
“victorious because we lost
the least”
“The third among the heats was a black
starvation”
There are definitely similarities to the Exodus story. I think this time, however, the consequences will be more dire….and no one will be around to tell the tale.
Have a good time away, Bjorn. You work hard & a break will be good.
That last stanza really grabs me by the gut and squeezes.
Don’t know the background to your poem..but I think it is a powerful reminder of the destruction man is bringing upon himself…and not too far away it is too!
Definately see a relationship in your poem to a biblical past.
Also to add, so well written too, such a good read.
This is a great and relevant poem of the near future, it is such a pity the the greed of some is accompanied by blindness.
So true, Bjorn, there is no one else to blame. But you’ve given me nightmares in the daytime and it’s only 8.48 on a Sunday morning! The biblical link is very apt.
“the lamb was lost”…the deathly blow and no way to redemption. No wonder cataclysm is upon us. Such vile species is this mankind. The lines are visceral.
An epic poem Bjorn – fantastic work
A sobering biblical journey!
Apocalyptic and powerful. I especially like the water groaning, and the lidless eye. Have a wonderful vacation, Bjorn!
This gave me chills, Bjorn. How well you narrate the inexorable arrival of the four horsemen. I was especially taken by this aside:
We fought and were
victorious because we lost
the least…
Any victory will be Pyrrhic, I fear.
Another perfect poem! I loved your tale, it seemed you read the stone.
A powerful write, Bjorn, … and grim.
it reads like ‘Revelations’ – the metaphor of the lost lamb is especially good
This is really powerful, I love how you linked the consequences of climate change with the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
The future looks deep and dark, hopefully no more seals will be opened. The beginning of the end.
My goodness this has such an apocalyptic feel to it! Powerfully written.
Oh my this was fabulous and so sobering …reading like a myth but all too real as yes we are doing it to ourselves.
That was excellent! Have a great vacation.
Terrifying–very well done, though! Awful, a dead heat for sure, racing for finish. Have a marvelous break. k.
Losing the least has always seemed to me to be the oddest most tragic victory . . . May we never get so far to the brink that opening the seals and bringing on the death of the lamb is the only way to go! Of course, in a way we have already done that and do it again and again. Chills.
Timely and more than appropriate. I sometimes think we must be the most ignorant creatures created,
Elizabeth
Brilliant! I so admire poetry that ventures into the scholarly beyond for inspiration. A fascinating piece – a stunning portant – imbued with haunting images that plunge to great depths.
Fantastic! Hitting on the parallels between Exodus and climate change with history repeating itself, and our failure to learn from our mistakes made this piece brilliant.
A very strong and beautiful poem, Bjorn–the last stanza sums it all up in a gruesome and chilling fashion–and this ” We fought and were
victorious because we lost/ the least…”
Epic! A prophetic warning. It gets our attention when you write it in such biblical poetic terms. Our downfall is that we never thought it could happen to us.
A biblical interpretation of such creative passages of the bible and fully visualizing this image of what is taking place in the poem. Brilliant. 🙂
ha – i think we could never do it ourselves – if the lamb is lost – everything’s lost – luckily it isn’t … yeah
Beautiful, Bjorn. Forboding write..well executed poem….I love ‘hearing the waters groan”.
Such awareness of earth’s dire fragility.