Shock and Awe

By Clara Blair

Yes, I am shocked at these awful things,
By the sloganization of pain and destruction.
"Shock 'n' Awe," brought to you by War 'n' Such
For the enjoyment of the whole family on your
Very own TV, twenty-four seven. In color and
Surround-sound (digital available in some areas).

I want all of us to see the bodies, to know what
Is really happening - what eventually will be
Negotiated into insignificance when those in power
Have gotten all they want from the sacrifice of others.
We should all feel shock and awe, for this war harms us
More surely than it harms our surgically targeted enemies.

Our leaders have sent to war a generation raised on
Video games, synthetic violence, bloodless kills.
Imagine their shock when the fact of their missions
Assaults all their senses with the smell and taste
Of battle and animal fear, but there is no "Pause" button
To stop the action when they can no longer bear it.

The losers in every war are the soldiers, the ones
Who must live the rest of their lives with indelible images;
The men and women who do not want to speak
Of the things they've seen and done for their country;
The reality of the ugliness they have endured;
The price they have paid that is always, always
Cheapened in the end by the agendas of the politicians
Who sent them in the first place for reasons described
In terms of honor, country and humanity.

In war there are no winners:
Some just lose more than others.

© 2003 Clara Blair, March 24, 2003