Monday, July 28, 2008

Headlines (for Linus)

Some wars are unseen
until it is too late.

A 50-something man yelled hateful words
in the sanctuary,
pulled a shotgun out of a guitar case.

Youth were performing a play behind the altar:
“Gunman Opens Fire in Tennessee Church, 2 killed”

Some wars give us the world.

In Iraq, a soldier lost his sight,
shrapnel in his eyes.
“Soldier of the Year, 2007”

As a teacher to boys going overseas
(to war)
his sight is more intact than ever.

Some wars are seen every day, until we
hardly
pay
attention:
“4 female bombers strike in Iraq, killing 57”

We’ve heard all of these stories before, laid them
to rest under the tree of “that’s life,”
but only because
we
weren’t
there.


another Pen Me a Poem prompt...

4 comments:

Brad Frederiksen said...

So true. I wonder; does human nature become more horrific with each horror that it learns to forget.

Nathan said...

Yeah, this poem is very truthful. I think in our culture we're not supposed to have a lot of real empathy. To have empathy means we'd be truly horrified and this would mean more people would demand change. Empathy is bad for business.

Julie said...

Oh, yes! This poem is so powerful. How often people get numbed by the news. When some horror is happening ELSEWHERE, people tend to go, "Oh, how sad," and then skip off to McDonald's and forget about it. You have really nailed it on the head. So many good lines.

Beaman said...

I like the different theatres of war and conflict you have included, from the domestic gunman in Tennessee to the strife in Iraq. The final conclusion is extremely powerful and all too true.

You've written a poem that leaves the reader thinking and contemplating the brutality of war. That means it's a great poem. Well constructed.

Edward Beaman(Pen Me A Poem)