Don’t look up...

[jim turner]

when the bombers thunder overhead, high.
It is a crime to look to know
where what they are.
Glass eyes convict sentence
and the punishers return silent.

There are no more wars. Only the faraway
no-war we are winning forever
we are told on the news
we are told to eat three times a day
when we sit at soup and bread
we are convinced is good,
knowing nothing but this bread
soaked to soften in this soup

always at different tables, so
no one notices someone there
yesterday is not today
or guesses he has succeeded
someone in a no-war faraway.

At the ammo and weapons factories
we are known as numbers,
which are the same as the bunks
where we sometimes sleep.

We are not allowed to dream.

Jim 1/10 (Or was that 1984?)

[mnaz]

return silent as drones, maybe... "only the faraway no-war we are winning forever"
you know, call me anti-whatever, but I like the way you think.

[stilltrucking]

War?
What war?
do not look up
do not stop shopping
"It's the economy stupid"
War is job one


well done Jim.

When people ask me how old I am I say I was born before the war. Then they ask which one?

do you remember Armistice Day? Before we had a generic one size fits all veterans day? I would like to see every war we have ever fought commemorated by its own veterans day. Then after three hundred and sixty five wars we will run out of veterans days. Except for the occasional war in leap years.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

To our veterans, we remember…
But I wish I could forget.

[jim turner]

Thank you to mnaz and trucking. Meanwhile I'm posting my Soldier From Kansas. Hope you find it worth reading. jim