"Fortress"
by S K Dapoz

Taken by kind permission from Father's On-Line Library.

The hidden city is silent now.
He fights no wars.
He goes no more to war,
wrapped in a warrior's red rage,
mind divided
between the song and the blood...
the sweet, high song of death
pulling him down the road of no return,
no knife in the boot
for the soft sound in the night,
no sleeping on the brittle edge of exhausted awareness,
tensed against the ambush
that must come,
yet does not come and does not come.

He fights no wars.
He goes no more to war.

Whose tears are these?

About the Author

S. K. Dapoz has been writing poetry and nonfiction for twenty-five years. Beauty and the Beast has been her first foray into fiction. She has written and edited several fanzines, including the Queen's Knight series, and "All Things are Possible with Love," rated a four in the Q-fer. She owns a small desktop publishing company, Purple Rose Press, and publishes a yearly poetry anthology composed of poetry by Baha'is, as well as poetry chapbooks by established writers. Purple Rose Press also accepts freelance graphics and editing assignments. She is also a software specialist at the Indiana University School of Business in Indianapolis. For information about 'zines or freelance desktop/graphic or publishing rates, SASE to: S. K. Dapoz, 815 N. Broadway, Greenfield, IN 46140, or email: SDAPOZ@INDYVAX.IUPUI.EDU