Axe and Sabre
The soft-horned falls,
to sever Earth’s bones;
The cutlass rises,
to crack the fair-roof.
The power-span falls,
to oppress the neck’s burden;
The blood-grip rises,
to blunt evil’s edge.
The hewer waved,
shaking Heaven and Earth;
The quencher stirred both
the quick and the dead.
One was the minion,
wicked and foolish;
The other the teacher,
eager and wise.
The foul fiend tries
to defend the god’s house;
The lie-hater seeks
to liberate friends.
The battle-bright fell
like a bolt from above;
The draw-wand rose
like a dragon from the sea.
The rage of their sword-storm
split rocks and felled trees;
The clamor of their club-clash
filled clouds with thunder.