Ephemeral Victory

(poems go here) Four thousand soldiers marched Exhaustedly, unceasingly Through blizzards and desert, Through thick and through thin. They starved. They froze. They perished of thirst. But General Santa Anna was tenacious and determined To drive out the traitors who had so mortifyingly Defeated his brother-in-law at the Battle of Bexar. Now he approached the Alamo, The same mission that the Texicans had seized from the Mexicans. Now he raised the hostile blood-red flag. No quarter would be given to these insolent Texicans. No man’s life would be spared. General Travis of the Texican army Etched a line in the sand with his naked sword, Beckoning, begging the men To step across to him. But all the men who ventured there Would fight to the death— Of this they were keenly aware. Nonetheless, One hundred eighty-eight in all, They crossed the line of doom. Only one refused to go. The rest resolved to defend the Alamo, Although they would surely die. Victory or Death! At midnight, Santa Anna’s troops awoke and warily Prepared for battle. Obscured by darkness, They crossed the River San Antonio And silently positioned themselves around the fort. Drums pounded ominously. Trumpets blasted formidably. The Mexican army charged! Then with a terrifying boom, The cannons from the besieged fort Spat fire and metal incessantly Out of their horrible, gaping mouths. The assault was hindered, but not for long. The north wall was breached brutally. Texicans and Mexicans were locked In mercilessly close combat. Mexican bayonets flashed, Huge needles drawing blood from their helpless victims. The bitter smell of gunpowder choked the atmosphere. Blood-curdling screams reverberated around the fort. The Mexican numbers were dented. The Texican defenders were annihilated. General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna completely defeated General William Barrett Travis That cold March morning of 1836. But his victory was ephemeral. It would not last forever. Soon the other Texicans would strike back, Bellowing their renowned war cry, “Remember the Alamo!”