Behind Every Coffin, Another Question
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
Here's another poem from one of my collections as I begin to compile editions that will include revised poems (already on the blogs) for posting as e-books; revised versions of my poems are already on the blogs, but not all my poems so, as requested by some readers, I am adding them now.
The the courage of armed forces around the world cannot be disputed nor their loyalty to the country they serve, but what of those responsible for deploying them wherever its politics dictates or rather, the politics of whatever party dominates its corridors of power...? Do men and women in the world's armed forces die for their country or to satisfy some hidden, even personal agenda creating a nasty draught in those same corridors.?
Political leaders often have a hidden agenda, that much emerges from their choice of words when called upon to explain or justify their actions, although proving it is invariably another matter...
Oh, and what of all the innocent men, women and children caught up in conflicts over which they have precious little (if any) say or control? The media may well speculate and those directly affected by the consequences of conflicts around the world will debate in huddles on street corners or - more likely - behind closed doors, and so it goes on,...behind every coffin and injury, questions rarely answered to anyone's complete satisfaction.
Here's another poem from one of my collections as I begin to compile editions that will include revised poems (already on the blogs) for posting as e-books; revised versions of my poems are already on the blogs, but not all my poems so, as requested by some readers, I am adding them now.
The the courage of armed forces around the world cannot be disputed nor their loyalty to the country they serve, but what of those responsible for deploying them wherever its politics dictates or rather, the politics of whatever party dominates its corridors of power...? Do men and women in the world's armed forces die for their country or to satisfy some hidden, even personal agenda creating a nasty draught in those same corridors.?
Political leaders often have a hidden agenda, that much emerges from their choice of words when called upon to explain or justify their actions, although proving it is invariably another matter...
Oh, and what of all the innocent men, women and children caught up in conflicts over which they have precious little (if any) say or control? The media may well speculate and those directly affected by the consequences of conflicts around the world will debate in huddles on street corners or - more likely - behind closed doors, and so it goes on,...behind every coffin and injury, questions rarely answered to anyone's complete satisfaction.
BEHIND EVERY COFFIN, ANOTHER QUESTION
We salute the fine men and
women
redeployed to fight in the
safer interests
of their country, those not returning
kept safer still in the vaults
of memory
We salute the fine men and
women
redeployed to fight in the
safer interests
of their country, acts of
friendly fire
but tragic accidents waiting to
happen
We salute the fine men and
women
redeployed to fight in the safer interests
of their country, trust any
returning
shall feel no insult added to
injuries
Who leads in the corridors of
power,
redeploying troops in the safer
interests
of their country, and by what
criteria
does its politics prefer to
define ‘safer'?
Who leads in the corridors of power,
redeploying troops in the safer
interests
of their country to fight
shadows
not into killing by any natural
rules?
Who leads in the corridors of
power,
redeploying troops in the safer
interests
of their country, pledging
solidarity
in its newspapers, on radio,
and TV?
What say we to the men and
women
redeployed to hell in the safer
interests
of their country since no politician
can tell anyone what is really
going on?
Behind every question,
another coffin
Copyright R. N. Taber 2010
[Note: An earlier version of this poem appears in Tracking the Torchbearer by R. N Taber, Assembly Books, 2012]
[Note: Revised (2013) from the original as it appears in print
eds., 2012]
Labels: armed, courage, duty, forces, human, hypocrisy, leaders, mind-body-spirit, morality, motives, nature, poetry, politics, power, questions, rights, society, spirit, wars, wrongs
posted by R. N. Taber | 08:47
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