The Escalation Ladder

Each step is carved, deliberate, cold, A script rehearsed, both new and old A theater built with dire intent, Where reason bows, its spine is bent The bear does not roar—it calculates A methodical march towards shifting fates No bluff, no jest, no idle boast, Each threat is tethered to a ghost Missiles rise like whispered prayers, Each arc a hymn to human despair Not chaos, but a measured hand, A blueprint etched across the land The lines blur fast—tactical, grand, Conventional flames scorch the sand But beneath it all, the shadow looms, The ultimate fire, the endless tombs This isn't rage; it's cold design, A legacy drawn on a bloodied line The man and the state are one the same, Immortal in purpose, deaf to blame Warnings issued, doctrines revised, Triggers wait, mechanized Each piece moves forward, inch by inch, A spiral bound to never flinch And the West, with rhetoric proud, Finds little hope beneath the shroud For in this game, no side can win, Only the ash of what has been A tactical flash, a calculated spark, To light the void, to leave its mark Not reckless—planned, a final plea, A monstrous act for all to see No gods will weep, no angels cry, As fire consumes the earth and sky For men who walk this fateful path Trade their souls for legacy's wrath And as the steps grow ever steep, We dream of peace, but sow the reap The ladder climbs, the world grows thin This is the end, and we are within