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The Call

Spiritualism, higher purpose, and alienation in one rhyming poem

By Stephen A. RoddewigPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
8
The Call
Photo by McKayla Crump on Unsplash

Author's Note: This is not the first or the last poem I'll write on the subject of the ties that bind us and the numerous ways we lose them. However, unlike most of these poems, I embrace a specific answer to that uniting force: the call. Though I refrain from giving it any tangible characteristics, its central presence in this poem is markedly different from other reflections where I attempt to decipher the meaning of life only to come up empty. Just the fact that I give an answer to that question in this work, however abstract, is remarkable when I look back on it.

"The Call" is also unique versus the other poems I've shared on Vocal because, though it is also written with traditional rhyme, its subject is one closer to our daily lives than "The Lizard's" examination of environmentalism or "Lurking Shadows'" tale of lost love among deer. Written during a time of strife, this poem is a reflection on the bonds between us, the pain when we lose that connection, and the anomie that results when we are isolated from each other.

The Call

My helm to those who have lost.

My shield to those who have suffered.

My sword to those who have angered.

My horse to those who have wallowed.

My heart to those whose love has hollowed.

.

In the black currents of life,

running dark and cold through us all,

I know your pain and strife,

and you know my anguish and sting.

We both hear the distant echo: the call.

.

Brothers and sisters in arms

march off to the war of existence.

Blinded by belief in holy crusade,

we are brothers in pain.

.

All the while we still hear the call,

muted by the beat of the war drums.

As we march, it becomes a myth to us

until the call is lost to all.

.

Courage to the man who has stood at the edge,

gazing down into the endless abyss.

Forced to face the blackness of his existence,

believing that the fault is only his.

.

Heart to the man who has fallen,

knowing he cannot have what he yearns for.

Only able to watch from afar.

Sacrificing spirit for honor,

his soul hollow to the core.

.

Care to the man who has numbed

from so many blows to his skin,

the only pain left at all

comes from deep within.

.

They throw themselves into the fight,

struggling and clawing against their own,

Slipping from the arms of their brothers and sisters.

Slipping farther from the light.

.

Only in the darkest moments do we hear it again.

Once more we know its power.

Only when our strength and faith is spent,

our sword heavy and our armor rent,

do we feel its pulse in that hour

binding us all together.

.

It awaits the day,

when we finally lay down our swords.

That far off day,

when the call finds our hearts.

.

Time to change has come and gone

Watched your fears become your God

It's your decision

It's your decision

- Alice in Chains

sad poetry
8

About the Creator

Stephen A. Roddewig

Writing the adventures of Dick Winchester, a modern gangland comedy set just across the river from Washington D.C.

Keep an eye out for A Bloody Business, a Martin Williams novel!

Vocal chapter president for the Horror Writers Association 🐦‍⬛

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

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Comments (5)

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  • Kayleigh Fraser ✨7 months ago

    There is so much that is brilliant about this 👌✨👏 Well done

  • Poppy 8 months ago

    Wow, I loved the style of this. The first paragraph completely hooked me and my favourite line was 'My heart to those whose love has hollowed.' Great job!

  • Suze Kay8 months ago

    I loved this, Stephen! So glad Mackenize brought it to my attention. What a beautiful, elegaic poem. I must confess that I often find rhyming poems to be a little pat and simplistic, but this one blew me away. Great job! I'm definitely going to be reading this one again.

  • The anatomy of grace which not only allows for but also beckons us to community, bonded together with one single purpose & call, that of one another.

  • Mackenzie Davis8 months ago

    Wow, you really put the time into this poem to make it cohesive, to give it the time to unfurl, to end with a whimper that touches the heart. In the salutation, I love this line," My horse to those who have wallowed." What a majestic greeting, and so kind-hearted; unique to see in a poem these days, imo; it calls back to the greats, as does the entire piece. On the subject you investigate here, I full-heartedly agree with it, and with how you approach it from so many angles. Predominantly, it is war, but I feel that war is both the subject and a metaphor simultaneously, the call to do better in the world, especially for our fellow man. You show the suffering so honestly, the alienation, the fading of the call over time, and its reemergence in the darkest moments. I feel both hope and doom towards the end (last two stanzas and the quote) and am not quite sure where to settle, which feels right at the same time. Wonderful read.

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