BATTLE'S EVE

The sky turned to dark from pale,
Frozen rain and ice like rocks began to hail,
Hammer against anvil of cloud,
Caused thunder frighteningly loud,
Startled animals, sheep and cattle,
That night, even the bravest heart did rattle,
While in one camp, slave for sacrifice was stoned,
In the other, pointed ends to poles lashed, axes honed!
The gods make self amusement of a kind,
Not easily understood by human mind,
They are simple, not complicated,
Though lack of feeling, should never be underestimated,
While dead slave at foot of mountain is lain,
Gods are playing each other, advantage to gain,
And even Cromm, Arawn and Brigid, though gods by name,
Will be found to be mere pawns in this higher game!
Now, the higher gods are almost ready to play,
While twenty thousand men, asleep in battledress lay,
Some will march over mountain in clothes sodden,
While for others down below, bogs will have to be through trodden,
All the time, Arawns hounds on leashes strained,
Smelling death to come, still to hells gate chained.