Dust Settles Back Where It First Flew: A Haiku Series

Posted byLouisPosted inArt and Poetry, History and Origins, Major Historical EventsTags:, , , ,

As many of you may know, the Star Spangled Banner was written on September 14, 1814 by Francis Scott Key. September has an eventful month in human history with many prominent occasions to note. It can difficult to decide for which to account on a weekly basis. Yet, I still wished to write something about the War of 1812 or Francis Scott Key before September’s end. This haiku series was one I produced while pondering the motivations for the War of 1812 and the course it took.

Tensions flaring high
Bitter resentment abound
Conflict is brewing
Honor under threat
Petty disputes festering
Life disrespected
Souls taken adrift
Stolen by the enemy
Madness rules the sea
American ships on the water
The War of 1812 was sparked by trade and territorial disputes between the United States and the British Empire; the impressment of American seamen who were captured and forced to work on British ships; and British influence on the Native Americans to fight against the American colonists.
Battle lines are drawn
One shot will set them ablaze
Peace is to be lost
The world in peril
An empire on the march
All to be undone
Once more into fire
Freedom threatened once again
Liberty at risk
The Burning of Washington
The Americans suffered many devastating defeats at the hands of the British in the War of 1812, as the British were able to conclude their hostilities with the French and focus their attention fully on the United States.
Losses unmeasured
A fate brought upon ourselves
Darkness we conjured
Yet hope always looms
Victory is never far
A path forged in strength
The goals unattained
Dust settles where it first flew
Nothing changed for good
The U.S. capitol in 1814 after the burning.
After the war, none of the goals set forth were achieved. British impressment and Native American hostilities continued. Territorial lines were not changed. However, the war did prove to many for the first time, including the Americans themselves, that United States was ready to fight and defend its people, territory, and honor on the global stage against hard-hitting giants.
Peace returns once more
The fury of war subsides
A new era comes
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All posts by The Pen and Sword are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Published by Louis

I am a freelance writer from the United States.

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