The Goddess of War

We sat in the night ’round a long burnished table
For hour upon hour we toyed with the nations
Our pace was too tentative, Zeus harshly boomed
“It’s kill or cure,” he cleverly crooned.

All eyes were averted, one voice laughed with joy:
“Let’s do it, let’s wipe it all clean with one blow!”
She bounced in her armchair and clapped with delight
“The sooner we’re rid of them, sooner we’re right!”

I have always aspired to her long golden locks
Her fire-flashing jewels and the way she tells all
I had always admired the power at her core
Until I sat down with the goddess of war

To her left sat Woe, silently weeping
At the head of the boardroom, Zeus grandly stood beaming
Progress logically pondered his plight
Apathy stared at nothing in sight

She flew into action, steering the team
Charting destruction, her teeth a white gleam
Her anger flared out but Zeus never minded
If she scorched old Confusion or left Status blinded

[chorus]

Come friends enjoy your last breath
Don’t you know there is nothing so glorious as death?
Drink to her health
Long may she oppress
For drunk we adore
Our goddess of war

Blood spattered the streets as our plan took on life
Each heart resected by a new hero’s knife
Gen’rals told captains, “Set no one aside.
Our foes are faceless; slay all who hide.”

The red dawn revealed our Zeus now benign
Smugly transforming his grimace malign
He told us we’d done all he hoped we could do
It’s only a test, clean the carnage, who knew?

[chorus]

I have always aspired to her long golden locks
Her fire-flashing jewels and her towers of steel
But I’d rather be grimy with all the world’s poor
Than shine with the grease of the goddess of war