187. hearts & minds
the terracotta army
stands to attention
row upon row
with stony gaze
inch perfect
stiff & starchy
all tooled up
in desert camo
ready to go.
the terracotta terrorists
slouch behind mud-brick walls
& peer out
with glazed expressions
and rusty steel
making do
a ragbag troupe
in dusty keffiyeh
ready to go.
and which will prevail ?
one’s strength
the other’s weakness;
but in the end
all are men
with feet of clay
at the mercy of another.