Terry Flood Poet Lyric

Notes About The Poem

Written some time ago but needed some tweaks

Written specifically as a song and

reads a little disjointed for that reason.

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Lord Have Mercy

Lord have mercy,
See how we bleed
Save us from wars
Of malice and greed
Lord have mercy, 
See this Earth bleed
One thousand cuts
Of doctrine or creed

Men shaking hands as though each understands
They’ve come to the same point of view
Yet each questions why they are sensing a lie
And each wonders what’s left to do

Lord have mercy, why give us choice
Why did you give man so many a voice
Lord have mercy, must I concede
Man is predestined to slaughter his breed

The beast has found us sleeping; I told them so
But they said no, let’s take things slow
I suggested, while the west was breathing
We should take steps to keep it so…… but they said, “No!”

Lord have mercy,
See how we bleed
Save us from wars
Of malice and greed
Lord have mercy, 
See this Earth bleed
One thousand cuts
Of doctrine or creed

I hear mysterious are your ways
I know you shall not pick a side
Might I point out we chose no fight
Must we again count ‘those that died.’ 

Lord have mercy, we stand for peace
But cannot accept the scourge of the east 
Lord have mercy, we’ll tame that beast
And celebrate a new day to feast

With rockets primed for firing
The point of no return is nigh
With mercenaries hiring
We shall react and shall not cry

Lord have mercy,
See how we bleed
Save us from wars
Of malice and greed
Lord have mercy,
See this Earth bleed
One thousand cuts
Of doctrine or creed

And so with nations clinging
Their friends; our friends,
allies and foes
Who’s who… who knows

I hear the sirens singing
How near how distant,
I don’t know
Does anyone know?

So, keep your mercy, go take a pill
I have the codes for weapons that kill
The world that you gave us is bleeding and ill
But you took no side, so it’s, “Fire at will!”

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Linda Alice Fowler February 7, 2026 at 12:50 PM Marquee lights or no Terry. This is a keeper in my eyes! :) Terry Flood February 8, 2026 at 2:31 PM Thanks, Linda. I’ve Ben deliberating over whether to post the audio. Short on ideas right now so I just might do that to fill the void.

Ilene Bauer January 29, 2026 at 8:59 AM I think this would make a great song, Terry! It’s a wonderful poem and I love the way you’ve ended it…pow! Terry Flood January 29, 2026 at 10:53 AM Using AI and an awful lot of prompts and ‘irregular’ punctuation, I got a song which, on first listen, I cut off half way through. I don’t know why I didn’t delete it, but I didn’t. Listened again an hour later…….. and absolutely loved it. Didn’t post it as I find fewer people seem to read poems with a song attached. However, if I’m asked nicely enough, I’d gladly oblige. Annie’s son thinks I’ve got a hit on my hands… hmmm…. somehow, I just don’t see my name up there in lights ;-)

Tom Cunningham January 28, 2026 at 10:01 PM Well written Terry, I'd love to know what 'God' some of these crackpots follow. How dare they carry out their atrocities in his name with their twisted ideologies. The way things are going it will soon be midnight on the doomsday clock. Tick Tick Tick Tick. Tom Terry Flood January 29, 2026 at 8:43 AM Thanks, Tom. In my mind’s eye this is from the point of view of an American President asking God to take the ‘launch’ decision out of his hands. Of course, I don’t mean the current president… I suspect he would be seeking help from NO-ONE!