Wars

Words, puffs of expelled air
Against the fires of wars.    
  Who can hear
  The whispers of peace
Cannons, rockets, drowning out    
  Hushed reason.

We praise the wounded soldier,
For that suffices
To justify the mangled bodies.
We mourn the dead in battle
Rescuing our bruised conscience
From the abyss of whys
Of our insane pastime.
Rush headlong,
Bettering our bombs
Improving our weapons,
Shed, while checking army contracts,
A superfluous tear
For those … less fortunate
Then conclude our business
And cheer on the troops.

A. de Paoli