They Said

~ Rajani Radhakrishnan

inevitable,
they said,
as pitiless hands tossed the tattered veil
of innocence
into the growing pile of cries,
of prayers,
it would be a waste to burn them,
they said,
the stench of decay would be a reminder,
an atrophying monument to anarchy,
the gyrations of bravado, of revolution,
bleeding into the gutter,
truth once clothed in holy vestments,
now soiled by failure,
its last hurrah
not even worth the absolution of fire,

they said.

For the word list prompt at Real Toads

24 thoughts on “They Said”

  3. Going to Hell in a hand basket, that what they said way back when. We did.
    Truth, it’s hard to pin down a definition anymore. Can’t back it up with facts without looking at what kind of facts they are.
    ..

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  5. This is strong, but so very bleak. It gives me the chills and makes me want to pray that this is a better description for past atrocities and not a prescient warning of things to come.

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  7. tossed the tattered veil
    of innocence
    into the growing pile of cries,
    of prayers,

    More often than not it is to take the easy way out. In the hope that prayers can solve everything

    Hank

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  8. Your repetition of ‘They said..’ creates an ominous mood. The word choice lends itself to a dark look at human experience and you have certainly delivered.

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  9. This is quite a powerful write! Especially “pitiless hands tossed the tattered veil of innocence into the growing pile of cries, of prayers” is poignant!

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