Prologue- Iam Tandem
Date: 13 July 2001, 4:36 am
In the glimmering sky, the soaring arc flies
Lofting free, heavenly bright
This is the place where the earth and sky meet
and hope fades into the night
This is the place of the burning twilight
This is the place where we fight.
-Letter to home, de Captain Lara Christ Reyes,
courier drone, three days before death.
Iam Tandem
Date: 17 July 2001, 8:30 AM
The flaming tears of angels streak across the sky
As heaven rains its fire, and gods set down and cry.
The mortal, man-machine, moving through the air
The fight, the flight, ending without fare
Ag'ny running swiftly, softly, true
The paining shots, of sling and steel, the endless fighting few.
The endless hordes, fighting too.
The brav'ry of men, the darkening hue.
Death approaching quietly, lest its goal be seen
Evil thinking nothing, nothing but a dream
'Till lancing fingers, enamored touch
love lies bleeding, overmuch.
Ascending heights, crested. still.
A sight of burning, temp'trous glory
Heroes of heart, warr'ors of story
To give and receive, the unknown kill
Through want of nothing, metallic death
Avenging angel, Redemption's breath.
The fury of the slain, the voice of the lost
Breathing power without end, never without cost.
An impetus of motionless, a willow struck with gold
Untouched by winter, running still, the spirit free of cold.
Transubstantiation, blunting edge after edge.
Maliciousness unsuffered, bullet/blade, spade/hedge.
The end of nothing, beginning of all
Sprinting fast across the land
Ardent fire, a-glowing bird call
Bursting high and free in a shimm'ring band.
Armageddon. The end of all things.
Brought too soon by an eagle wanting wings.
Alien souls, forgiven in eternity.
Blasphemed and tainted by the touch of trinity.
I am Fate, I am forgiven, I am the halo on the head
I am Destruction, I am Infinity, I am the undefeated dead
I am the Guardian, the Watcher, I am everywhere defend.
I am the cleansing of an age, the beginning of an end.
The desperation of inevitable, the forsaken creature's last
Crying out for mercy, for a robot's human cast
Explanation/exasperation, wound's last asked.
"Who are you?!" (the bellow of lost fate)
"Destiny," I said (the response of victim's hate)
and shot him too. (perhaps now, perhaps too late)
Afterword
This is Halo, a galaxy's blight.
The scourge of a people and the hope.
As the courage of few against an army of might
stand beneath the stars, their faith with the light.
|
