The Skeleton War

Wife

Months ago on that cold, sandy shore

My lover had left me for the Skeleton War

The ship horns blew and rattled my bones

Nobody could know when they would come home

A brutal conflict between bones and beast

The mortal conflict for the newly deceased

The struggle for calcium, the thousands of slain

My love. My cherished. My hope. My pain

But I have a job to do as well

For pain nor love, must I dwell

Homes and bones, I must protect

Temporary emotional disconnect

“No Milk Monday,” says the Clerk

“Oh dear. You’re right. I’m sorry!”, I smirk

I hope my sacrifice will do them well

I put the milk back that they will not sell

Water the plants, watering hose.

Step inside. Empty. Morose.

My skeleton life feels frail and dry

I wish I had tear ducts just to cry

But firm and strong, these bones must stand

to protect our beautiful, bony land

Though in my marrow, I still feel as well

War, undoubtedly, is worse than hell

Husband

Squadrons align. Ivory flesh I bear

trembles, quivers, in this burning air

Millions of skele-lads in this cruel warzone

Yet deep in my marrow, I still feel so alone

My lover back home knows all that I’ve done

and I soon hope to return, once this war has been won

Worry not my love, for you must only wait

Evading capture above from those black, pearly gates

Though the enemy is here, and closing in fast

Our general is slack-jawed, gazing aghast

Bones have a funny way of surviving though

When home is the goal, I’m not letting go

Acid grenades functioning, and ready at my belt

I bite the pin, and my hope, silently praying to myself

“Lord, you sick monster. Stealing my heaven from me.

I found happiness in hell, yet you won’t let me be.”

“You call yourself love, but you take mine away.

Your mercy is a lie, but we all have to pay.”

It felt like time stopped, after I let the bomb go

But when I felt my bones burning, I was another lost woe

Our Family

It was early in the morning. Fixing my skeleton hair.

There was a knock at the door. I yelled, “Be right there!”

The slab opens wide, two-suited skeleton soldiers

I fell to my kneecaps, a crushing weight on my shoulders

“We’re terribly sorry for your great loss.”

“Thank you”, I mutter, bearing the heaviest cross

The world spins around me. What does this mean?

My chest is exploding. My skull, a smoke screen

Every orifice I have is manifested by shock

My strong, healthy bones felt as brittle as chalk

Every hope for us. All the years we spent

Our home. Our dreams. Our future. My lament

The time can’t fly, without any wings

An angel has died. Empty throne. No king.