Four years of war. I can barely comprehend how many lives have been lost. When I was a child, one of my earliest memories is of my mother crying when she learned the Vietnam war was over. I couldn't understand then why she was crying, but I undestand it now.
This is the only political poem I have ever written. I call it "Untelevised"
O, Vietnam!
I was born too late for you
my earliest memory
mother's tears as she turned
from the black and white presidential
speech and said "Your brothers
will not die
in a televised war."
My brothers did not die
They grew up well.
Where is our Ginsberg, our Dylan? The voice of my generation is automated,
the sweet siren song of infomercials - she is a smooth operator, always standing by. She is static over the airwaves, always has you on hold - offers you empty options if you press the right buttons to turn the system on.
My brothers are dying
in an untelevised war
every day
every day
every day
This is not a protest.
I only dream of revolution
latenight from a memory foam bed.
My silence is bought by comfort.
My brothers are not dying
in a televised war.
It has become unfashionable
unprofitable
to show our dead.
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Comments: 74
BRING THEM HOME - BRING THEM HOME NOW!
I remember WWII, but only from the child of a soldier's perspective. My father could never speak of the atrocities he experienced there. I remember how every other backyard had a bomb shelter, how in school we would practice duck and dive. How every plane that flew over would make you duck. And this was many years after the actual war was over.
I remember Desert Storm, every late night call brought fear that this was the one we didn't want to get. We were ones of the lucky - we never got that call from our child. We got the call many years later - from a far different war... a drive by shooter in the war on drugs took our sons life.
I remember Iraq... our son with already two tours under his belt, is facing a third. Actually a fourth, but emergency surgery passed him over last time. We were blessed, the month he was to go, the highest amount of fatalities. Will we be so lucky again???
His job - a driver - most deaths from roadside bombs. How many times can we luck out???
BlueFox
Sharon, my heart goes out to you.
A child seventeen
Worried if today will be her day
Father murdered
Brother missing
Wondering when will be her day
Open market
Soldiers walking
She knows that today will be her day
Rough hands grabbing
Threats are spoken
Forever terror will be her day
Darkened chamber
Rape her again
Praying for rescue will be her day
Losing all hope
Wishing for death
The coming darkness will be her day
==========
Yes, a very unhappy anniversary to all the women that no longer endure rape rooms. I must ask, if it is you or your love one that is kidnapped and raped, would a rescue still be immoral?
Hopefully the democrats will avoid the two stumbling blockheads of obvious choices and but somebody up there that might not only win but lead.
The lack of compassion is underwhelming. How can you look into a child's eyes and tell them, "Tough luck."
~Proverb (origination uncertain)
I wrote a poem back then. I'm afraid I can't remember the first verse, but the last one goes like this:
Wind in grass, softly sighing;
On the field, bodies lying.
Screams of living, groans of dying,
Peace once more.
The wall then climbs and runs for a long long way, higher than you can reach.
40,000 more names had to fit on that section.
When will We the People learn to plug our ears to the rhetoric, and demand the facts. Yes some wars are a necessity. But let's leave out words like sacrifice and honor when justifying putting fellow Americans on the front line.
Gas is over $3 a gallon. Big deal, bullets are flying. The war budget is in the billions of dollars, big deal, bullets are flying.
What was called 'the greatest generation' had a home front that sacrificed and supported the war effort.
Until We the People realize that is the only way to judge the righteousness of the fight, then sacrifice of our young men is futile.
Americans should sacrifice together. But instead we flick the channel from the news to catch The Simpsons rerun-a-fest.
Rich Kaye, your mockery and insincere comments are like flies at an outdoor dinner. Why don't you just fly back to the pile of shit your fearless leaders feed you, before you land on a trap?
Spiritual warfare through poetry, aimed at awakening us to higher levels - Sane.
Bloody warmongering aimed at increasing ego control - Insane.
"Sacrifice" answers the men and women In Country- not to us here in the states... "Sacrifice" falls on the dishevled shoulders of the mourning fallen military families.
Much of what was seen in the VietNam Conflict can be associated to the Iraqi occupation now. "Associated"- not compared. Neither fight is similar except for the bombs, subterfuge, corruption, blood and bullets.
"Things all the same- always changing..." Zen Koan
Now he has found his way back through faith in God but a whole lot of vets did not. They are still lost souls. We will see the same thing in the Iraq War vets, and what really puts the icing on the cake is the substandard care the Bush administration has provided to date. I'm a vet too mostly during the Cold War in Europe.
Now that most americans are now against the war the Bushies are now saying you can be patriotic and be against the war. They didn't say that during the last presidential election, just goes to show you their true colors- yellow.
"In our every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." From the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy
My heart also bleed for those ordinary iraquies who only want to live a normal life and raise their kids who has gone from one kind or terror to another.
No easy solutions are possible. That is why it was and is so important to know what we do when we go in. Sorry to say I believe the horrors there has only started.
Great poem
Curtis L.
Little neocons keep bringing up how we have not been attackes since 9-11. My response is, "and your point is"? Bear in mind that it FINALLY took a Democratic Congress to at least START protecting our ports. Our borders are completely pourous. We don't have a clue who is coming or going illegally. Bush talks about "foiling" certain attacks on a "certain" building on the West Coast. NO evidence given. Wost terrorist attack in America was on 9-11 and was done by Saudi Arabians. Second worst terrorist attack on America was done in Oklahoma by an American citizen, born and bred. So, the question is, "who are we hunting for"? According to the former Director of the "Bin Laden Unit" of the CIA says we are going to get hit again, and under the current administration, there is not much we can do about it.
Very nice write Laura.
Since you seem to believe you have such a firm grasp why "we have not been hit" since 9/11, let's hear your explanation why we were. Ths should be illuminating.
P.S. If you haven't a clue (spewing more stale Fox News sound bites doesn't cut it), go crib your answer from some halfway-reliable source. Then, at least, you'll learn something.