A Cavalry Charge

by Michael Shindler (October 2023)

Study of a Flying Sparrow, Giovanni Da Udine, 1515-20

A cavalry charge.
Blaring trumpets.
The cheer of men.
–
Large are the shadow
Puppets that play
And play again.
–
They each have all
The world in their shade:
–
They fight, they fall,
And prayers are prayed.
–
—
But there is a little bird
Brown and spotted and ugly,
Flying as high as the North Star,
Saying it hears nothing,
Not even the prayers.
—

Table of Contents

Michael Shindler is a writer living in Washington, DC. His work has appeared in publications including The American Conservative, The American Spectator, National Review Online, New English Review, University Bookman, and Providence. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelShindler.

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