Poets Against War continues the tradition of socially engaged poetry by creating venues for poetry as a voice against war, tyranny and oppression.
Richa
55 years old
Grand Rapids, MI
Wrote this poem in 1991. Homeless, ex-convict, recently designated [Ed Note: bio cut off in transmission]
Perception
We stand for America and you best not belittl’er, ‘cause we kicked ass of a would-be Hitler.
That stupid, treacherous Saddam Hussein didn’t do what we wanted, so he must have been insane!
He invaded poor little democratic Kuwait, killing babies, raping women, and spreading his hate.
But we weren’t about to just stand by and watch while that power-hungry Arab tried to kick us in the crotch,
so we sent over planes, infantry, and tanks, knowing in the end the whole world would give us thanks.
The pilots who flew sorties over that god-forsaken land Could see little specks moving around in the sand;
they knew what to do thanks to their Pentagon coaches; just drop their loads and exterminate those roaches.
Those corporate government mercenary—oops! We meant to say, ah…OUR troops
Had the right tools to get the job done, and like a video game, it was kind of fun!
The pilots above and the fighters below risked their lives to insure that that madman would go.
Buoyed by thousands of schoolchildren’s epistles, our nation’s heroes crushed the enemy with their Patriot missiles.
Look!—they just scored a hit on a military installation! Rah! Rah! Rah! Feel the exhilaration!
Now an Iraqi propagandist (who’s probably got scabies) told us it was a factory making milk for babies.
But we know better ‘cause God is on Our Side, and anyone who says different just plain lied.
We know this is true ‘cause we saw it on the tube, and if you think otherwise you’re an ignorant rube.
Baby, anytime you want to know what’s snappin’, just turn on the TV; it’ll tell you what’s hap’nin’.
And as if that weren’t enough, we’ve got to be right, ‘cause we read it in the paper, in straight black and white!
True Peace
isn’t quiet graveyards are quiet isn’t patriotic wars are patriotic isn’t law-abiding mass murderers make the laws isn’t polite the powerful crush us politely isn’t tolerant or charitable injustice is built on those
True peace is dancing in the streets a baby drooling in your lap a child screaming with delight an elder sharing stories
True peace is the wisdom of solidarity the courage to challenge wrongs the freedom to make mistakes none with too much and all with enough
True peace is alive, raucous, fun, messy, exciting, wondrous
