Tuesday 8 June 2021

The Last Defender

by Nick Gisburne



A surge of steam erupts in boiling clouds
Delighted children cheer as he arrives
Reflected in his sombre eyes, the crowds
Anticipate the lesson of their lives
The fables and the legends, all are true
This metal marvel really does exist
Immense, from bolt to plate, from skull to shoe
A child could fit within each mighty fist
The teacher quickly pacifies the class
And shares astounding stories from his past
A time when giant juggernauts of brass
Protected human cities to the last
    They screech, and snap their talons at his face
    The last defender of that hated race