The Death of Dignity

Written for Paul Brookes' ekphrastic challenge - one poem a day in April 2021. 

 

The art work for this day is by Jane Cornwell

 

 

The Death of Dignity

The birds came to this morbid place

because they always did.

Bringing flowers to weave a wreath

to mourn the recent dead.

They crowded round the fresh dug grave

and ruffled weary wings

with no intent to swoop or dive

and silent was their song. 

The flowers from impassive beaks

all withered when they fell

upon the earth so dry and cracked

on this sad, blighted, hill.

For here, within this lonely plot,

old Dignity lay dead.

It starved as Avarice grew fat

and Falsehood stalked the land.

 

Compassion too, had left this life,

replaced by Fear and Hate.

Anger swamped our shores in waves

and Day was quashed by Night.

It was no plague that brought these birds

to Dignity's sad end.

Just Humanity's brutal deeds

that put it in the ground.

Don't weep for Dignity, don't cry,

for everything we've lost.

The birds have flown, our words are clay,

the time for Hope has passed.

Tim Fellows 2021