Watching the News

I WATCH THE EVENING NEWS
AND SEE THEM REDUCING THE COUNTRY
TO RUBBLE

REGION BY REGION
CITY BY CITY
BLOCK BY BLOCK

AND REMEMBER
A SAYING
BY TACITUS

THEY HAVE MADE A WILDERNESS
AND CALL IT PEACE

I THINK IF WE SURVEYED
THE DEAD
ON BOTH SIDES
MOST WOULD SAY
AS ACHILLES SAID TO ODYSSEUS
WHEN ODYSSEUS
PRAISED HIS DEATH

NEVER TRY TO RECONCILE ME TO DEATH,
GLORIOUS ODYSSEUS.
I SHOULD CHOOSE, SO I MIGHT LIVE ON EARTH,
TO SERVE AS THE HIRELING OF ANOTHER,
SOME LANDLESS MAN WITH HARDLY ENOUGH TO LIVE ON,
RATHER THAN TO BE LORD
OVER ALL THE DEAD THAT HAVE PERISHED.

I KNOW NO PROBLEM
SOLVED BY MORE HATE
NO PHYSICAL GAIN
JUSTIFYING
ONE DEATH

THERE MUST BE NO MORE KILLING
ON GOD’S HOLY MOUNTAIN
NOR GLOATING
OVER PYRRHIC VICTORIES
NOR TRAMPLING
BY THE VICTORS
ON THE MASSES
WHO HAVE NO VOICE


FRANK A VOLLMER