Jenica Jessen

They say

That Old King Pyrrhus

Went to war against Rome.

 

He led the Greeks

 

They marched forth

With hearts and torches burning

To fight for their king, their homeland, their lives.

 

The old ones say

That Pyrrhus and his men

Fought like dragons.

 

That the forests and fields blazed with their anger

With their hatred

With their pain

As they fired death into the Roman ranks

And received it in their own

 

And received it

And received it

And received it tenfold more

 

The old ones say that there were flares and flaming arrows,

Campfires that went wild

And that the battle roared for two days and two nights

And that the entire land lit up with fury

Until the embers died down.

 

They say that Old King Pyrrhus

Looked out when it was over

 

He had won

 

They say he was congratulated.

He was honored for his victory.

And they say that Old King Pyrrhus shook his head.

 

“Another such victory,” said he, “and I am undone.”

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If you ask a linguist, they will tell you

that the name “Pyrrhus” is derived from “pyr”.

It means “flame”.

 

They named him that at birth—

maybe because of his royal red blood

or maybe because they hoped to see him blazing bright.

He lit up all Greece with the tales of his wars.

 

If you ask a linguist, they will tell you

that “pyr” is also the root of “pyromania”

“pyrotechnic”

“funeral pyre”

and even our word “fire”.

 

The linguist will not tell you about Pyrrhus’s pyre.

 

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They say he died in battle

And when he was honored

They turned his body to ashes.

 

They say he was cremated

And that his throne burned under him.

 

They say the fire of Pyrrhus lit up the night

Until everything was gone.

 

All that was left was a wisp of smoke

Dancing over the ancient hills

whispering

 

“another such and I am undone.”

 

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The strategist will tell you of the “pyrrhic victory”

which is not worth the price you pay.

He will tell you of costs and benefits

and count all the lives lost on his ledger.

 

He will tell you that a pyrrhic victory leaves you broken

and struggling. That you may lose the war to win that battle

and you may not even be able to call it “winning”.

 

He will tell you to avoid these victories at all costs.

Another such and you are undone.

 

---

 

And if you ask me, I will tell you that it’s too late for that.

I will tell you that we should have learned this lesson long ago.

 

We have fought like dragons. We have fought like Greeks.

We have spewed our hatred to the heavens.

 

We have won our pyrrhic victory

and now everything’s on fire.

 

We fought like dragons, we fought like Greeks.

We did not count the Dead.

 

we could have stopped

And we did not

 

Our world is burning red.

 

We won our pyrrhic victory

and now everything’s on fire.

 

So come sit down with me, and forget about the old ones.

Forget about the strategist and the scholars.

 

Come sit down with me, on the throne of Pyrrhus,

just before it catches flame.

Come sit with me, and watch it burn

and we will rule our kingdom of ashes.

 

We fight like dragons, we fight like Greeks.

We could have stopped

and we would not.

 

We won our pyrrhic victory

And now everything’s on fire—

Come sit with me, and watch it burn,

and defend our kingdom of ashes.

 

If you ask me, we learned too late.

But now, there is nothing to be done

 

Except finish the job

 

Win once again

 

And let everything

Everything

Everything

Burn

 

And the last of the hills in the dying light

Will watch as we start our final fight

The last of the hills in the dying sun

 

another such and we are undone