Points of No Return

For starters, this has nothing to do with any personal point of no return, the 3rd Season of Babylon 5(or episode of the same name) or the song from 'Phantom of the Opera'... just a little ruminations from wherever I've put my mind these days.

Between terrorism, pandemics, outright war, threats during times of supposed good will, media-inspired global panic and general apathy of the world's citizenry, I wonder if we are worth even saving, if the reckoning that is coming somewhere down the road is fitting? I wonder if I have been simply made too cynical or pessimistic by a variety of issues, or just getting older and understanding the harsh pragmatism of the world we have to live in so we can survive. The best part of me surely wants to remain idealistic and hopeful (regardless of commentary from others), but the historian in me always questions. That I suppose must be my curse... not too many romantic historians out there I suspect. I generally would like to give the world the benefit of the doubt, and yet... I know the truth of our past, present, and because of that, our future. Even knowing and understanding certain truths (or at least what I have perceived as truth) about our place in the universe, about the love it shares with us, fades at times with the knowledge of how terrible people really are. Mind you, this is not a revelation to any of us... we suck. We are frail, flawed, corrupt, cynical, prideful, scornful, lustful, greedy and murderous... not necessarily in that order, nor do we all give in to all those traits, but most of us are a mistake away from giving in to any of our fears that can lead to such a darkness. Some, the sociopaths and fanatics of the world, simply give in to desire in the name of self-satisfaction or for their cause, but the cause is merely a form of self-satisfaction in the end. If you achieve the end of liberating, say, Upper Silesia from the harsh rule of the Poles or the Slovakians, regardless of how that end is achieved, do you not feel a sense of self-satisfaction? So, am I saying revolutionary movements are filled with sociopaths? The fanatical mindset is certainly sociopathic to be sure and considering how fanatical humans can be, one wonders if we are all sociopaths... I have been called worse... and better.

In the end, what does it matter? Perhaps we are so far past the point of no return in our social development, we can no longer see the ends for what they are or can be. Maybe our genetic memories cannot allow us to see what we can ultimately be. Humanity is hardwired to destroy itself through passion... ironic that passion can lead to love and hate. Maybe even the passion of love is not the end either. Every time a prophet has preached the love and understanding of the universe, how has it ended? We still count the dead... we still pay the price for the sins of Mohamed and Jesus.. for Yahweh. The price of their love has resulted in death... from misunderstanding, from martyrdom, from intolerance... all in the name of love. Even though love might be the great treasure of the universe entire, it could well be the great darkness of the soul.

I have seen the welcoming love of the universe. While it is love, it gives without passion or prejudice. It might even be beyond our emotional control. We cannot exist, as humans, without our passion, and that may be our ultimate curse... my ultimate curse, to be true. Without passion, inspiration fades, even the desire of love diminishes. And so we sit... knowing we are past the point of no return, caught in the world we have created.

C.

Edits

This is sort of a cop-out post, almost to take up space I suppose. What I was meaning to write needs to wait for reasons that will be explained in said post. I am sorry if I have not made my regular blog visits the past couple of days. Those, and the next few will be a little hectic, and it has nothing to do with conventions (for once). Simply a family issue that is taking place, and I will let everyone know as it becomes appropriate.

In the meantime, I looked back briefly at an older piece after writing the poem in the previous post and wondered about some edits. In the end, I changed the verse structure by turning parts of it into refrains, and I think, when reading, it gives the reader the pause they should get were I to speak it (as it should be, but alas, impossible in this medium, unless I podcast all my poetry... mmm, that would be fun :)

Anyway, I offer the link below for those that had read this piece and those that might still be interested... this is my cop-out, just an edit of an old poem... at least it's one I like:

Ilios

C.

Poetry Thursday: Stains

This is written in response to Poetry Thursday: the prompt is red. This is the first time I have officially responded to the prompts, so here goes.

'Stains'

I see them... I see it...

Such a small, unassuming space...
to unleash a thousand kinds of hell.
So many places, why this?
when so many others might do.
So many deaths in a callous instant...
for nothing more than a... word.

I shout to them... I yell...

Such a shattered, terrible milieu...
as the madness consumes it all.
So many lost, for what?
when so many others should do.
So many histories fragmented in fury...
for nothing save we asked them to.

I reach...

Such a quiet, calm sound...
to end the horrors of the day.
So many forgotten, and now?
when no one else could do.
So much I needed to say...
for the stains shall never fade.

C.

The Face of the Enemy

Unless we get a wireless connection at our hotel this weekend, this will probably be my last post until I get back from IkkiCon. So, everyone have a great weekend and indulge my returning to a less frivolous subject...

In the movie, 'Crimson Tide', LCDR Hunter (Denzel Washington's character) comments that 'in the nuclear world, the real enemy is war itself'. This comes at a point in the movie where the ship's officers are also discussing Von Clausewitz and his maxim that war is the continuation of politics through other means. In times past, and perhaps even the recent past, these maxims were appropriate, though I think Hunter's assessment is the truest for the post-nuclear, ideological world. As someone who has read Karl von Clausewitz, his work, while still quoted by military historians far and wide, is dated, more appropriate for the 18th and 19th century, when war was a little more personal. By time the horrors of the 20th century permeated our consciousness, the idea of personal war was more or less laughable; however, the nature of war has changed once more.

To me, war has become less the instrument of politics and more the instrument of ideology. Now, some may lump ideology into politics, and that is well, but more and more war has transcended the idea of borders into what we see today. Perhaps it is the overwhelming images of suicide bombers and insurgencies that makes me see it as such, but I doubt it. Until the 1970's war was fought more or less within the borders of the nations that were fighting the war. Now, it can be fought anywhere an idea is threatened or maintained.

What, then, does this mean for the future? Perhaps the maxim should now be, 'war is the continuation of ideology through other means' since politics cannot completely contain (and we have seen that far too often) ideas, for good or ill. So, maybe the new face of the enemy is not war itself, but the idea that war can shape ideology and push traditional politics and methodology of war aside. Clearly, this is evident in many of the current crises around the globe, and will likely continue to remain so until something replaces the wars of ideas.

I am really not so sure how much sense I make, but simply some random thoughts I had today about the nature of war and I wanted to put them to page in case I lost them. I am not so much treating this as theory so much as a musing on the subject.

C.

No Return

When going through and labeling my posts, I was sort of surprised I had not added this particular piece, written after one of the many bombings and conflicts between Palestine and Israel, a conflict that, territorially, has been going on since the 9th century BCE (the idea that the Israelites 'conquered' Canaan is lacking in concrete proof) when various kingdoms and empires decided to wrestle over the region. Still, my inspiration was more recent events and those events have inspired too much for my taste. I could also write something about the hope that justice might take the place of vengeance, but I am tired of sounded like a broken record in that regard.

'No Return'

From stones and swords,
To bombs and tanks,
The result is always the same.
Neither side accepting the blame,
For the madness they have unleashed
Upon their fragile domains.

By foot and by horse,
And by car and by plane,
The message they send remains.
Both sides unable to hear
The voices of their God,
Listening instead to the cries of rage.

Because of fear and anger,
Blood and hatred remains.
The result will still be the same,
Neither side giving in,
Until no one is left alive
To inhabit their fragile domains.

C.

Ilios

Something strange happened today... while reading an article on the archaeology of the Trojan War, I was inspired to write something I had mulling about in my head for some time. Thank the Muse...

To the reader: Ilios is the 8th century BCE form of what we know as the city-state of Troy (hence the name of the book called 'The Iliad').

'Ilios'

Where rests the glory of this fabled shore?
In the remnants of the tormented dead?
Perhaps those that have seen the end,
Cast from the heights of blood-stained walls.

Innocence...
Lost beneath the waves of a wine-dark sea.

What price secured this fabled shore?
How many fell to spear and bow?
Amid the cries of the forgotten and forlorn,
The stench of battle permeates the air.

Victory...
Made whole within the flames of heroic pyres.

Who weeps now for this fabled shore?
This realm of black-hearted gods and men?
They stand beyond the veil of time
In the form of Hades' breathless dead.

Ilios...
Her glory tempered by the memory of a wine-dark sea.

C.

Military/ War Movies

After watching 'Patton' last night, and using this as a sort of pretext to my next entry (which will likely be a review of 'The Rising Tide' by Jeff Shaara, then I may bore everyone with some more poems and the like), I compiled a list of fifteen war/military movies that I really, really liked, inspired me, or affected me deeply. I would put Ken Burn's 'Civil War' on the list, but it is most certainly a documentary and not a Hollywood release, which all of these are, or at least eventually made it to Hollywood and American release. This also does not cover any newer movies, though I am sure 'Letters From Iwo Jima' will be up there when it is all said and done. As far as what qualifies as a military/war movie, it is pretty simple. If fighting between rival armies occurs, it can qualify, so there might be a few that are not quite what you might consider a war movie, but I do because it happens during the backdrop of war. Also, because I like so many of these types of films, I also have a category at the end called: Also Receiving Votes, much like the Top 25 polls in College Sports.

15 War/Military Films:

1) Glory (1989): Starring: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman. Some would surely place this lower, but for sheer spectacle and inspiration, this is far and away my favorite, and though it did not win for best musical score, it should have, probably deserving of more Oscars than the two it received.

2) Last of the Mohicans (1992): Starring: Daniel-Day Lewis, Madeline Stowe and Wes Studi. While this is at times a romance, it is most assuredly a war film, set during the backdrop of the Seven Years/French and Indian War. The soundtrack to this film is simply amazing, and elevates it on the list for inspiration alone.

3) Dances With Wolves (1990): Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, and Graham Greene. One of my favorite westerns, and as a military film, captures the post civil-war military very well and one of the most beautifully photographed films ever.

4) Full Metal Jacket (1987): Starring: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, and Vincent D'Onofrio. The first half of this film is almost perfect, with R. Lee Ermey's performance one of the most memorable in any military film. The film's sometimes slow second half (though the siege of Hue was done nicely) keeps this from being in the top spot.

5) Patton (1970): Starring: George C. Scott and Karl Malden. Scott's performance as Patton is the most memorable in any military film and won him an Academy Award (and the film garnished 7 others). This film grows on me every time I see it, and even after reading accounts of the real George S. Patton, I enjoy it even more (even though Scott thought his portrayal did not do the real Patton justice). And as General Omar Bradly, Karl Malden plays the perfect counter to the larger than life Patton.

6) We Were Soldiers (2002): Starring: Mel Gibson, Barry Pepper, Greg Kinnear, and Sam Elliott. The first of two Gibson films on this list. He may be reviled, but he is in great war films, and this is the most accurate of his films (since he did not direct it). One of the most brilliant films about the soldier's burden, showing both sides in the first major battle of the Vietnam War. A fascinating move, and even better book.

7) The Last Samurai (2003): Starring: Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. I probably should have listed Watanbe first, since his performance is mainly the reason this film is on this list, though the masterful score and cinematography help. An impeccable film, even if one has to endure Cruise.

8) A Bridge Too Far (1977): Starring: Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox, Anthony Hopkins, Ryan O'Neal, James Caan, Robert Redford, Maximilian Schell, Gene Hackman, and Liv Ullman. Perhaps one of the most star-studded films of the last half of the 20th century, and to me, the only reason it is not more well known is because of another 'War' film that premiered in 1977. Based on a book by Cornelius Ryan (who also wrote 'The Longest Day') and directed by Richard Attenborough, this is a splendid film about Operation: Market Garden, which was one of the most ambitious operations of WWII.

9) The Longest Day (1962): Starring: Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, John Wayne, Rod Steiger, George Segal, Robert Wagner, Robert Mitchum and Roddy McDowell. The movie that Saving Private Ryan could have been, and the definitive movie about D-Day, with a cast comparable to A Bridge Too Far and in many ways better. Only winning two Oscars, perhaps deserving of more. Fantastic movie.

10) Gallipoli (1981): Starring: Mel Gibson and Mark Lee. Directed by Peter Weir, this Australian film about two runners who wind up at Gallipoli, is one that is at times idealistic and haunting. Perhaps not as polished as other films on this list, it makes up for it in the power and tragedy of the invasion of the Dardanelles at Gallipoli where the ANZAC's (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps), in their first battle of the Great War, were annihilated.

11) Platoon (1986): Starring: Charlie Sheen, Wilhem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. Oliver Stone's famous Vietnam film is a great one, but always felt a little impersonal to me and focused too much on the degenerate attitude of many of the soldiers (whether true or not). Still, filled with powerful imagery and great acting.

12) Tora, Tora, Tora (1970): Starring: Jason Robards, E.G. Marshall, and James Whitmore. Perhaps overshadowed by Patton, but the movie that 'Pearl Harbor' could have been, and easily better acted though without the benefit of the CGI scenes of the later movie. Still, a classic and worth watching.

13) Black Hawk Down (2001): Starring: Ewan Mc Gregor, Jason Isaacs, Josh Hartnett, Tom Sizemore, Orlando Bloom, Eric Bana, and Sam Shepard. Perhaps a modern day A Bridge Too Far in its casting, this film by Ridley Scott about the ambush in Mogadishu, Somalia of Army Rangers is one of the best films dealing with modern combat. Once the fighting starts, it is unrelenting, at times harrowing, and very realistic. Some would call the operation a failure, and perhaps so, but it belittles the courage of the 100 some-odd men who faced off against thousands of Somali rebels and to my mind, prevailed.

14) Saving Private Ryan (1998): Starring: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Vin Diesel, Barry Pepper, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns and Giovanni Rbisi. Some might call the film a bit nationalistic as it appears to give full credit to the D-day invasion to the US, but the scene of the landing at Omaha Beach is one of the most powerful in movie history. Further, it is still an extremely well acted film.

15) The Thin Red Line (1998): Starring: Sean Penn, John Cusack, Nick Nolte, Jim Caviezel, Adrien Brody, Woody Harrelson and Elias Koteas (plus numerous other 'star' cameos). A lot of folks did not like this film, but I felt the existential feel of much of the film was very inspirational to me, and allowed it to creep up on this list. The combat scenes were not in the league of Saving Private Ryan, but they did not need to be.

Honorable Mention: Grave of the Fireflies (1988): I was reminded by this of another blogger's post, and totally forgot to add it. This film by directed by Iso Takahata is an anime, but the fact it is animated does not detract from its power and simply ability to tear you up inside. This is the heart-wrenching story of a brother and sister who struggle to survive the Tokyo firebombings in WWII. One that stays with you.

Also Receiving Votes (in no particular order): Braveheart, Gettysburg, Gods and Generals, In Harm's Way, The Patriot, The Green Berets, Gladiator, Bridge on the River Kwai, Breaker Morant, Lawrence of Arabia, Heartbreak Ridge, Spartacus, and Apocalypse Now.

That should cover it, and though it is late, hope to get the review sometime tomorrow :)

C.

Reckonings

As I promised in a couple of posts prior, some malaise-filled political poetry (not really war poems as they do not discuss war per se). The following two poems are a result of my thinking the world is headed for a reckoning, whether soon, or in the near or distant future. The time is irrelevant, for it will happen. A bloodthirsty race like our own is only meant to destroy itself unless a change is effected. Unfortunately, history has shown we are unable to effect change, hence my thoughts on this reckoning. And as someone who has studied history, I understand the need for justice, and sometimes, the need for revenge; however, because I understand it does not necessarily mean I condone it. My pragmatic side sees the historical necessity, my more human side has to comment on it. Both poems ask the questions: Where does justice end and revenge begin, and who will be left after vengeance is satisfied?

'One'

One.
Is that enough?
It should be.
Ten.
Do you require another?
One Hundred.
Perhaps a little more blood?
One Thousand.
Shall I start digging the graves?
Ten Thousand.
What must the price be?
One hundred thousand.
Will there be a reckoning?
One million.
Should we stop now?
Ten million.
When shall we reach an end?
One hundred million.
Can you still count the graves?
One billion... more.
Is that enough?
It has to be.
We are all in our graves.

'Zero Sum'

They wait for justice's balancing scale.
Expectant yet patient,
Perhaps even confidently assured...
Though the answer would make one wonder.

Scars run deep upon a troubled world.
Bitter and prideful,
Certain in their judgment...
Hearing only cries which burden their shame.

We pay service to advice unheeded.
Polite but arrogant,
Set in unalterable ways...
Moving toward our righteous end.

A troubled world tires of such strife.
Though expectant and patient,
Most certainly and confidently assured,
The answer... makes perfect sense
To those who balance the scales.

C.

Articles of War

Since this is Veteran's Day (how strange it being on a Saturday. I think it has been awhile since that has happened... right, I know, maybe 7 years, but taking into account leap years, I really don't recall), I thought I would add a more emotional piece about what is left behind in war and how it can affect us, and those who fight. Of course, I wrote this on a Memorial Day almost three years ago but I feel it applies just as well to Veteran's Day. So now, as then, I respectfully dedicate this to those who serve and have served this nation in times of peace and of war.

'Articles of War'

In an instant...
Leaping racing to their doom
charging into a deadly space
hearing a simple primal call
clinging... holding to
a peace pushing back the fear.

A promise...
Clawing hanging on the surface
wrapped within rapid thoughts
dodging traversing shattered earth
sensing the ultimate price
desperate yet determined to
honour more than words can know.

Throughout the carnage...
terrified elation for an eternal moment
torn asunder in mere seconds
cursing yearning toward a ruin
broken mangled by a thunderous end
unable to grasp
a smoldering remain of a once beating heart.

In an instant...
ten thousand photographs...
ten thousand smiles...
fragments of promises laid low
but never forgotten
buried beneath an eternal no man's land
interred within the deadly space of time.

C.

Therein All The Honor Lies

The following is one of my longer poems, and I would technically consider it an attempt at an 'epic' poem, since it sort of follows a story (unlike my other rather long poem 'Commentaries on the Burden of War' which is certainly not epic by any stretch). I wrote the first version of this (long since edited) in 1992, which was really the first part of the poem. I finally re-wrote the first portion and tied it to two similar poems (again re-writing a little for some unity of theme) in 2003. So, this is one of my most edited pieces, mostly due to making it consistent and turning it into something that follows a story. And as far as inspiration, I was actually inspired by some accounts of the Mexican-American War, though the opening quote from the Civil War fits just as well.


'Therein All The Honor Lies'

"Soldiering has one great trap. To be a good soldier you must love the army. To be a good commander you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love. We do not fear our own death, you and I. But there comes a time... we are never quite prepared for so many to die. Oh, we do expect the occasional empty chair, a salute to fallen comrades. But this war goes on and on, and the men die, and the price gets ever higher. We are prepared to lose some of us, but we are never prepared to lose all of us." --- Robert E. Lee to General Longstreet, Gettysburg

I.


They charged through the smoke and dust
No glory... simply because it was ordered so.
It was not for the conquest of new lands.
They fought because I said go.

They raced up the ramparts through the hail
Of lead wavering only in the arms of death.
No decisive battle nor desperate last stand
Not even freeing our fellow man.

They stormed the defenses of the wretched fort,
Dirt blasted by falling shells.
Slaughter prevailed on both sides of the line.
Not how I thought it would be.

They fell above the battlements of the old fort
Muskets sending them into the arms of death
Not as I planned... not for glory
Not even for the conquest of new lands.

Dead... Dead because I said go.

II.

Blood stained the walls of the shattered fort
Life once vibrant gone forevermore.
Their hopes and dreams lost to time
for what?
A dusty outpost in the deep of dark
A name not heard until today
Remembered because it was ordered so.

Voices cried from the depths of the fort
Begging for mothers and cursing God above.
Their agony and heartache a cross to bear
for what?
Blind ambition and a manifest dream
A swelling of pride until this moment
Battered into fragments by empty desire.

I wept atop the lonely ramparts
Wondering how this horror could be
The cause should have carried the day
and yet,
The deep of dark overwhelmed my spirit;
Victory brushed into the charnel pits
Where gods and generals must glare
To face their men another day.

III.

They saluted within the rebuilt fort
A battered flag raised high
Objectives met and spirits soared
No want for glory, not even
Freeing their fellow man.
They answered when called
For the hubris of a few and the
Dignity of a nation.

They paraded beneath the quiet walls
Toward a field stripped bare
Smells still overwhelming
They neither wavered nor cared
Fallen heroes are remembered
Friend and foe given their due
While the living bear witness
To what was and what must not be.

I stood in the darkness
Watching them march into the fort's embrace
Filled with a solemn determination,
New defenders hoping to make a difference
For the glory of a nation; perhaps the
Conquest of new lands.
Maybe even freeing their fellow man.
It will not be as they imagine.

So many dead...
The next time I say go.

C.

War Prayers

Just a note on reading: The refrain in the following piece is based on the hymnal version of 'The Lord's Prayer'. If you know the tune, then that is how I recommend you read the refrains.

'War Prayers'

Our Father...

Dust choked, mud soaked roads
We march to our end.
Sounds of thunder loom in the distance,
We know what fire awaits.
Up the rise, toward the lines
We form to make our stand.

Who art in Heaven

Grape shot, musket, cannonade
We hold fast in the terrible storm.
Screams of agony all around,
We will remember victory's price.
Drawing swords, fixing bayonets
We are ready for our end.

Hallowed be thy name.

Raging, charging, ever closer
We await the great melee
Dying in droves yet no one runs,
We fire into the unyielding host.
Reloading through the chaotic din,
We see them strike into our hearts.

Thy kingdom come...

Slashing, tearing maddening horror
We crumble beneath their fury.
Comrades fall as a driving rain,
We give them a ferocious riposte.
Overwhelming numbers, within the lines
We fight until the end.

Thy will be done...

Dust choked, blood soaked roads
We march to our end.
Sounds of thunder fade...
We hear the prayers for the dead.

Amen.

C.

Commentaries On The Burden Of War

This is technically a war poem, but more a comment on war poetry. I meant for it to start out a little light but realized the subject matter would not let me. Still, I think it is one of my more unusual writings as it is also a reference work to others. Not that it is a contest, but I do challenge you to see how many writers I reference and whom, (not including myself, for I do) in slight homage to 'A Fable For Critics' by James Russell Lowell. Some of the writers I reference should be easy, others not so obvious.

'Commentaries on the Burden of War'

"You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you." -- Leon Trotsky

War is kind.
Weep not maiden, war is kind
Impined the war correspondent
Despondent for his lack of mettle
But emboldened to admit
He knew the horror of battle,
Watching from afar so he
Could comfort the living on
How war is so kind.

Honor and glory beckons.
The cause is just, therefore
Duty whispers 'lo' to the soldier
So he can volunteer
For daring deeds in
The arms of death.
He turns his back on wisdom
And gives one gallant gush,
All the while whispering 'I can'.

Riding into a valley of hell
Against those most terrifying odds.
They faced their foe undaunted,
But do they wonder
Should they falter and run... no!
The day will be theirs
For war is kind, so kind
That poets will laud them
Whilst they die in droves.

I wonder if the poets knew
What sort of burden was created,
This image the soldiers
Had to face
Generation after generation gone.
Inspired by words of those
Who never faced death's rendezvous.

He loved his duty and honor
To fight in one more just war
In order to be a noble man
So he could face his love,
Show her how much he cared.
Still, she took comfort
That he loved her so very much,
And yet, in the end...
He loved his honor more.

Dank trenches in Flanders fields,
Many await a gruesome end
Yet espousing the virtues of wars past.
Pressed against the walls, waiting to
Charge into that deadly space,
Resolving to stop the other
For they know their duty;
Even if the world abandons reason,
They stand firm and simply die.

An outpost in the deep of dark
Laden with the blood of the fallen
Is forgotten except for a few.
Those who scratched and clawed
At the face of death,
Watching their comrades fall
In a brief terrible moment.
Not for glory, nor for new lands
Only because someone said 'go'.

I dream of those honored dead
And hope they forgive us our
Need to comment and posture
On the soldier's burden.
One that we have not faced;
One we should never want to.
I dream of remembrance...

From bloodied creeks and streams at
Sharpsburg and Bull Run,
To sieges at Calais and Hue,
I long for an absolution
In the Teutonburg forest,
At the fall of Vera Cruz,
The terror of Gallipoli,
And the madness of Verdun.
It will never come...

War is kind.
If she will not weep,
Perhaps I shall.
For it will not end.
The ruin we have created
Cannot end.

C.

Ruin

This poem is a continuation of the previous post, but it is not truly necessary to read the one to understand the other (though, obviously, I would encourage it :). I actually wrote this piece right after the Passover bombings in Israel in 2002... and considering how things have gone since then, not much has changed.

'Ruin'

One more death...
A sacrifice on the altars of hate.
More blood upon the hands of the world,
Another death will be enough.

What is one more death...
To avenge the honor of nations
To quell the cries of anguished souls?
A life is extinguished,
Is their death enough?

Trapped in a circle of death...
Altars stained by the sacrifice of blood.
A world cannot suffer so many tears.
Eventually,
One more death will be enough.

Our world is a ruin...
Led by those who believe a death will be enough.

C.

No Easy Answers

I always seem to be in a conundrum about something. Most of the time, it is rather mundane, simply deciding what I might eat this evening, or what book I might read before I go to sleep. Other times, it is more serious, and I suppose this evening would be one of those nights. I wonder often about our ability to know right from wrong, what makes us an ethical person, what drives us to slaughter in the name of well... anything. I want to ask these hard questions, and I know in the end, no easy answers come to me. Of course, I think many of use who do ask these questions find an answer, but find it is either too idealistic in one extreme, or too pragmatic in the other. Most compromise answers tend to enrage either side and can leave one no better, sometimes worse, than before.

So it is with me. I understand that war can be a necessary evil, but I am certainly against it in principle. I understand that every nation has the right to defend itself from harm, but where does defense end and theology (or ideology) begin? (or vice versa, perhaps) We have seen the rise of sectarian violence in recent weeks, months and years in many parts of the world, but it has been with us so long as people have been deciding Baal was better than Elohim or that Isis was far cooler than Ishtar or Astarte. Indeed, killing each other is humanity's number one or two favorite pastime, depending on who you ask (sex being the other). And for what? Well, far too many things to get into, but we all have our favorites: god, country, passion, fun, money or all of the above. Does it really matter why we kill? To me, it should only matter that we do; however, my own passions and patriotism have gotten the better of me, and while my idealism says 'stop', my pragmatism tells me 'they have it coming'. Maybe they do, or maybe, as Clint Eastwood puts it so pointedly in Unforgiven: 'Kid, we all have it coming.' I would rather not endorse that thought, yet because I am an American, do I deserve death as much as anyone else does?

I always liked to think we were born with the ability to determine right from wrong, that we did not need a holy ethics professor to tell us what should be inherent in our nature. Unfortunately, as I see more and more degradations in whatever name we choose to invoke, I find this is not the case. I suppose I should know better. I have read enough history to confirm my questions, to give me the answers. I suppose I simply do not like them.

One day, I suspect there will be a reckoning for all that we have done, in this life or some other. I hope it is not so. I would like to think we could reach out to the stars and create a destiny beyond this small world. Until the killing stops, until our bloodlust and zealotry is satiated, this world will be all we know.

C.

The Other Side Of War

Aside from writing the usual catharsis-laden poems that involve romance, anxiety, love, loss, and emotion, I have written more than a few political/war poems. In all of them, I seek to understand the only side of war that matters: the dead. Who wins, who loses is irrelevant, even though I understand much about war from a pragmatic view. All that matters is that war comes to an end... and the dead know this better than anyone.

'The Other Side of War'

Only the dead have seen the end of war - Plato

Rays of sunlight obscured by ashen clouds,
Nothing left for the world to warm.
Suffering, mangled forms battered into dust,
Resolve and spirit crushed by steel and fire.
They wait for the shadows to fade...
They all wait, but it does not come.
It does not end.

Torrents of blood drenched by driving rain,
Scoured raw through a cleansing storm.
Fragmenting, restless thoughts carried away,
Caught upon the edge of razor and bayonet.
They hope for morning upon their face...
They all hope, yet morning does not come.
It will not end.

Memories of passion enveloped within happier days,
Clinging to a surface beneath the thunderous din.
An agonizing torment yielding no respite,
What awaits, a relief beyond the battle's cry.
They die reaching to the other side...
They all die, finally seeing the other side,
Finally knowing war's end.

C.