Keeping Score

[Brian mclaughlin]

I had no dog in the hunt
but I kept score anyway
at least I though I was
I believed that the numbers of the fallen
ours and theirs
was the score of war
the body count kept increasing
more soldiers were sent
when that war died down
another began
once again the thoughts of
'who cares, I don't have to go'
came back
once again I began counting bodies
the cycle kept repeating itself
I began to notice
so many former soldiers
disabled
homeless
more dying of suicide
than in the wars they fought
while the military industrial community
continued to feed their coffers
by the blood of the fallen

What was the score again?

I seem to have lost count.