The Great Empire In The Sky

A science-fiction short story told as a poem.

They came in the morning, the great empire in the sky

Fire they rained down, it warrants asking why

My family of four were gone at once, only I remained

Nothing’s left of our house, only ash and pain

Now times are changing and they want us to lay down our lives

For the great empire in the sky

Like bees we are a part of the hive

Like flies we die

Throughout our world they rule

The great empire in the sky

They’ve closed stores and schools

With an iron first they rule

I spend my days in a mine

Toiling as our numbers decline

A supervisor has told me to visit him

I fear that my future is grim

The army is demanding more soldiers

To fight in a war and stop us growing older

There is nothing I can do to stop it 

I have no choice but submit

A year at war, there is a desert planet underneath me

Nothing but sand as far as I can see

The people who live here where like mine once

A place unlikely for a war front

We are to conquer a city

A decision made not by generals but by committee

They say it is of strategic importance

So we assault in accordance

A family of four run underneath my gunship

I see their daughter trip

A bomb and they are all gone

A memory fades and we move on

We touch down and make our way inward

Towards the planets palace and lord

There is much resistance

A final hurrah to protect their existence

A bullet takes me in the leg

Then shoulders and arms as I beg

I lie in the sand and I remember who I was

Before I were sent to war just because

I bleed out in the sand

Seeing the people make a final stand

I regret that I laid down my life

For the great empire in the sky

Reviews

[Marcus Blyberg]

Good flow in the text, sometimes you get stuck at some half-rhymes like “remained” and “pain” that isnt really a rhyme but almost feels like one so it disturbs the reading. But I overall like your poem! Great story and many excellent rhymes.