Michael Copeland’s most recent poem to appear here was “Great Scots” (November 2017)

Times of Hate
By Michael Copeland

Man is beneath himself if he
deposits his trust in hate,
defacing his holiness
and losing much of his soul.

Climbing out of the mire is far
more difficult than the slide,
praying after the fact
does little to correct the madness.

The numbers do not lie,
words have done that from the
mouth of the source, choice,
accusatory and dangerous words.

Let there be peace on earth
to overwhelm the spewing fire,
love and compassion ruling
the new day with no compromise.

War
By Michael Copeland

Hessians at the gates of hell,
curdling screams of voices yell,
gathering clouds of insurrection
leading all to speak and tell.

Masses in the field of dying,
soldiers in their way of trying,
marching then in lines of courage
angels lending wings to flying.

Lest the meaning of this battle
loses to incessant babble,
causes bearing color banners,
men of conscience deafened prattle.

Aging minds of warlike thinking,
driving stronger men to drinking,
as the ebbing cannons silence
history noting verses linking.