Four horseman stood before God’s creation
They cursed the sky for what they’d done
These men were under no obligation
But fought so He’d tell them they’d won
Conquest rode towards the Lord’s men
A steady stance as he’d been taught
They didn’t know when they’d be back again
And for what, if not peace, they fought
War cunningly outstretched his bony hand
To congratulate the human race
He greeted them all as a long lost friend
Bowing down with grace
The soldiers shook their head aside
Conquest nor War could make them stray
They all knew that once they died
God had in it all the final say
Famine marched as the victor already
For he’d seen the hunger in their eyes
They all wobbled on their feet, unsteady
Ignoring other’s pleading cries
Lastly came Death, dressed in army green
A sudden wave of sadness washed down
Most of these faces he’d already seen
And had ignored them with a frown
He knew that what he stood for
Was something recognizable to all
It was with the heavy name he bore
He choose which one would fall
The man were not startled as he joined in
They had all met Death once or twice
They greeted the horseman with a soft grin
For he’d unraveled God’s lies
Background information: The four horsemen of the apocalypse are four biblical figures who appear in the Book of Revelation. They are revealed by the unsealing of the first four of the seven seals. Each of the horsemen represents a different facet of the apocalypse: conquest, war, famine, and death.
In this poem each horseman talks to a group of soldiers, trying to sway them into joining their side in what they think to be the new apocalypse: the Second World War.