Summer of Discord
Foolish men discussing peace
Neither a winner
A compact of lies
To both each other and us
Death's scythe comes reaping
I'm learning to walk
Unaware of wars cruel threat
Parents fear the worst
We start a new life
Hate devastation and death
None are neglected
My childhood lessons
Jubilant, peace comes at last
Yet another lie
We still play the game
Conflict always our boardgame
Man's foolish hobby
Image from at www.histclo.com
"Death's scythe comes reaping"......the thought of a baby boy learning to walk while bombs fall overhead brings home the reality of war. Your photo is history before our eyes. Wow, Robin. A powerful post. And still it all goes on and on.........worse, if anything, given extremism and terrorism. But it is all extreme, and terrifying.
ReplyDeleteWe still play the game
ReplyDeleteConflict always our boardgame
Man's foolish hobby
Yes, war'conflict is well put oldegg
War is never ending it seems. It has happened throughout the entire history of mankind. What miracle is going to put a stop to it? Ordinary folk just want peace,to lead simple normal lives: work, eat and some leisure time.
ReplyDeleteThe ww2 photo is interesting.. I suppose you would remember all of this ...as a child you probably thought it was just part of life.
Sherry said it well. We do still play the pretend bargaining game, each looking to have a leg up on the other, and everyone suffers on each side.
ReplyDeleteI always think of the children of WWII from the parents or an outsiders perspective. I never think of it from the kid's. What a frightening world.
ReplyDeleteAh nothing changes and man continues to fight each other.
ReplyDeleteI especially love the last stanza. Active hostilities end and a new set of problems begins. It was ever thus. One would think we would have figured it out by now.
ReplyDeleteOldegg, you have a way of writing with such lucidity! What a brilliant poem. Wonder why we engage in so much conflict. Human beings are basically peace loving...perhaps, the methods we use to achieve that peace is all wrong. Supremacism, in whatever form it is packaged, is Evil...
ReplyDeleteOldegg, you certainly have brought out the mechanism that keeps society going .. people want peace ... but societies are based on power and want supremacy ... the two seem to be in eternal conflict without a solution at hand ... strange though it seems since of course societies are made up of people.
ReplyDeleteWar will always be there so long as the desire to fulfill greed and power elements are present! Great lines oldegg!
ReplyDeleteHank
The innocence of the narrator mixed with the reality of what he/she is describing is a powerful contrast. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteI like the last stanza, always our games are conflict.
ReplyDeleteYes, man's foolish hobby! Seems that this 'game' has been played for as long as time has existed...sigh.
ReplyDeleteAt times I wonder if this planet deserves us.
ReplyDeleteI think these conflicts are not solved purposely to flourish businesses of war, well written
ReplyDeleteTrustworthy
War ruins many dreams...Very well expressed.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in world war 2 must have been unreal. Great poem.
ReplyDelete