The Civilized

[jim turner]

His, among the best of all good families,
well-to-do; Sundays seen, black-groomed, in church.
Cried little as a child and climbed to bed,
without protest, when told. Say that loving
and obedient described the growing lad.
Top of the list, prep school and university;
studied well–in art and Romance languages
excelled. Then. Then his father’s generation
agreed on war, and, told its cause was just
went off to learn strange skills in weaponry
and on the killing fields outdo the rest
in slaughtering his lesser fellow men.
At last, with hints of silver in his locks,
came home, with honor and with medals, in a box.

Jim 6/21/09

[mnaz]

"Civilization" is an awfully thin veneer, awfully misleading at times, like a bright blue mirage on the desert floor...

[Steve Plonk]

I really liked this piece, Jim. It reminds me of a piece, in a different style, that I did once called: "I will March no more". It was inspired by Phil Ochs...

Mnaz, I know exactly what you mean! When travelling through "Bonneville Salt flats" I saw "blue mirages" just like that. Is civilization just a mirage or veneer which covers our bestial (sic) being?

[mnaz]

seems that way at times, Steve. too many times, as I grow older. but it has its high points and low points.... hey, just like the desert too! a metaphor for everything, that place!