I am on a horse that I cannot ride
And death is coming but I have not died
Behind him there is war and horse, he guides
Famine and pestilence; grinning like cadavers
Up upon their horse’s hide
For four ride in the four ride in
Plague points at me and asks ‘how goes the human race?’
‘Not bad’ says I ‘But we’re still in last place’
War laughs and a malevolent smile runs across his face
‘It’s good to know you haven’t given up the chase’
And then he rides out and the bombs fall in his wake
Over a school, the children ring each other’s necks
And the teachers’ bones they break
The hippy’s lovemaking rituals become a rape
As across the darkening globe,
Each other’s white brothers turn into green snakes
Then pestilence rode out but with less pizzazz than war
He crept into buildings
Filled the occupants minds with a particular horror
That a flesh dining disease skulked around the streets
And the world boarded its windows and locked all its doors
Famine licked her lips and out rode the last of the four
And after her appetite had been stirred
The first world’s cheeks mirrored the third
Death waved goodbye as its horse he spurred
Ready to give the world
Alpha and omega: its his and hers
And with the last seen setting sun
Cities burnt with the force of megatons
No man had anywhere left to run
And after their task was done
They returned to the hill that I was upon
‘Now’, said Death ‘doesn’t the world look to be in better health?’
I nodded and asked whether in life I should have accumulated spiritual wealth
‘Nahhh’ its jaw chattered ‘you were always fucked -
Everyone above knew mankind would eat itself’
