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Barbarossa III

A new command would counter their attack
to stay the storm that harkens at your door.
‘Twould be a feat that stunned the iron pack
for nothing dared defy the wolves before. 
And though his pack could see the crimson prize,
impending fate compelled the cornered Bear.
‘Twould be a feast that destiny denies
as victory eludes the devil’s snare.
And still the beast pursued without relent
with all the rage this demon could bestow,
but confidence would spiral in descent…
for winter’s prowl would prove the greater foe.
The fires of hell concede to winter’s fray
as overconfidence becomes the prey.

As overconfidence becomes the prey
and, ineptitude undermines intent,
‘tis solely lust that lends to disarray
within the grasp of Winter’s malcontent.
To any soul that taunts the solstice gale
or challenges the chill of frigid might,
know well the past, if seeking to prevail,
or thus surrender to the frozen night.
When ego rears, despite the Winter’s scorn,
to gratify the dominance it craves,
let despot ghosts from fallen empires warn
of all the bones bequeathed to snowy graves.
Supremacy is crushed beneath the weight
when avarice lets vanity inflate.

When avarice lets vanity inflate
‘tis merely time before the eddies form.
Like misty clouds that roll and oscillate,
they swiftly wax into a raging storm.
As malice spews into the Slavic soil 
‘tis only devastation he shall gain,
for only death concedes within the roil
and nothing but the ashes will remain.
And still the beast, diminished by the stance, 
pursues the Bear to pierce its stubborn heart,
but mud and grit impede the devil’s lance
as destiny begins to fall apart.
Whene’er the moral right concede debate,
it caters to an arrogance of hate.

It caters to an arrogance of hate
when solitude falls victim to its law,
for evil grows when nations isolate
and to digress shall prove a fatal flaw.
The earth is but a speck in the abyss
that binds us all in unified contempt.
‘Tis only peace that lets this world exist
and nay a tethered soul shall be exempt.
And though we bide, thus choosing to ignore
impending peril rising with the tide,
those troubled waters wash upon the shore
reminding us of what we have denied.
With apathy, the fires of Hell are fanned
when giants hide their heads beneath the sand.

When giants hide their heads beneath the sand,
his iron wolves consume their prey at will.
And in response, the world cannot withstand
the fear and devastation they instill.
His frenzied packs were ceaseless in pursuit
as Barbarossa roars into the East.
their appetite for prey was absolute
and Leningrad shall be its finest feast.
Though fortitude withstood the vicious packs
as destitution filled the waning days.
A new command would counter the attack
as overconfidence becomes the prey.
When avarice lets vanity inflate,
it caters to an arrogance of hate.

Copyright © Mark Massey

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