come with me; now

this day, war is on

battles to be fought

and won

No, I say, fear seizes me

my kind n’ gentle soul

would never dare, to

step out there, where

bloodied bodies lay

Faces shown to me

little, innocent, child

size, large grown-up

tears upon their cheeks

lonely salted rivers

call to me

Bodies attach to crying

faces, rigid, tortured

racked with pain, others

limp, vacant, abandoned

sting of ripping flesh

calls to me

Silent screams, muted

voices speak to me

withering, wailing pleading

for justice, vindication

silent boiling caldron

calls to me

Large hairy hands

sneers, panting, pubic

hairs surrounding big

freshen worms, naked

chests, fill my soul

caldron overflows

Men hang from every

tree, blood splashes

like rain, thunder

pounds, lions roar

then clamp down ripping

flesh, eating worms

Eyes blaze fire

burns, lions face

hands and heart of

steel I am here

I have merged

become Warrior Woman

-Betsy-

November 1989