One Brave Man

Precariously perched on the high wire of death,
tenaciously he fought on until nothing was left.
His family, all slaughtered, left him feeling bereft.
His eyes, how they watered, as he stood at the cleft.

The earth opened wide as dark demons spewed out.
If he'd taken a side, he'd soon left little doubt.
The apocalypse loomed, now the battle, a rout.
Was humanity doomed; now from whence would hope sprout?

Could one man make a difference—how he hoped that he could.
Could he bring sweet deliverance; would he do them some good?
But the dark ones persisted for they wanted him dead.
Yet still, he insisted—so he fought on instead.

666—assigned as the Mark of the Beast.
As Satan designed, from the best to the least.
All would be branded, their souls to him would belong.
But one man disbanded from their devilish throng.

He hid deep in sewers, eating rats—human waste.
He ate dogs on skewers while ignoring the taste.
His will was soon waning—yet he prayed night and day.
No use in complaining, 'twas a game he must play.

He lived like the roach, keeping just out of sight.
Hell's minions encroached bringing Beelzebub's blight.
He hoped that soon one day he could live once again
with all of his brethren, among his fellow men.

His faith never wavered, wasn't questioned a bit
as Hell's demons savored from their bottomless pit
pure death and destruction, all humanity's pain.
The world's deconstruction was Satan's to gain.

The Seventh Trump sounded as the armies of God
to Earth, they all bounded, their war horses were shod
with honed, sharpened hooves—the demons they trampled.
Evil's army would lose; all their power dismantled.

He arose from below with his Bible in tow
so those still standing would undoubtedly know.
His faith remained true and he never gave in
until Satan's armies were dispersed with their sin.

Sweet sunshine broke through darkened skies, bright and warm.
The Earth, born anew, free from foulness and harm.
One brave man stood proud at the right hand of God,
held aloft by white clouds wheresoever he trod.