Facets of the Tongue
Written by Wade R. DeYoung
Hewn in granite,
carved in marble,
riveted in steel girders,
sculpted in blood,
etched in bone,
the facets of the Tongue,
Eternal,
yet ever-changing.
The Tongue
thrusts brown tendrils
into the Earth.
Shoots green tendrils
into Heaven.
With hammers,
axes,
clubs,
Angles and
Saxons
chiseled Gaelic
into oblivion.
With swords,
catapults,
fiery arrows,
Normans
recast the Tongue
of the
Conquered.
Now, the Tongue,
writ in human strife
inscribed in human hearts,
bridges,
encompasses,
spans the breadth
from Regal
to Royal
to Kingly.
From Give and Bestow
to Contribute and Proffer.
Facets of the Tongue first appeared in Bewildering Stories
Other Works by Wade R. DeYoung Published by
Diagonals Literary Festival
About the Author
Wade R. DeYoung was born and raised in Michigan. After 28 years, he retired from the U.S. Army as a captain and served as an aircraft armament mechanic, a recruiter, an environmental science officer, and an entomologist. He has a B.A. in English (creative writing track) from the University of Central Florida (2025), an M.S. in public health (medical zoology track) from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (2015), and a B.S. in zoology from Michigan State University (1991). He has written numerous poems, short stories, and one novel. His poems have been published in 100subtexts, Fae Corps Inc Newsletter, Bewildering Stories, Children, Churches and Daddies (Scars Publications), Diagonals Literary Festival, and Carmina.
Subscribe to our free newsletter to be updated about our publications and products, receive special offers and more!
(You can unsubscribe at any time.)