War is no mere Discord of Flags –
But an Infection of the common Sky²
The ones who Call the Shots are not
Among the Dead and Lame – and on
Each End of the Rifle we’re the Same³
Every Gun that’s made, every Warship
Launched, every Rocket fired – signifies
In a final sense – Theft from those who are
Hungry and not fed – Cold and not clothed⁴
What others view as a Policy decision – we
See clearly as the Murder of Innocent people⁵
When Leaders speak of Peace the common folk
Know War is coming – when the Leaders Curse
War, the Mobilization order is already written out⁶
Little Generals and painted Gods raise Armies – to
Waste lives & goods, and spoil the Sacred Earth⁷
Isn’t Life Miserable enough, comes not
Death Soon Enough – without resort
To the Hideous Enginery of War?⁸
The policy is to Win the War first
And work out the Meaning Later⁹
War Wastes what it Wins –
Ends Worse than it begins¹⁰
¹ Wilfred Owen, Strange Meeting
² Robert Graves, Recalling War
³ John McCutcheon, Christmas in the Trenches
⁴ Dwight Eisenhower, The Chance for Peace
⁵ 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Not in Our Names
⁶ Bertolt Brecht tr. original, A German War Primer
⁷ Ursula K. Le Guin, The Birthday of the World
⁸ Horace Greerly, quoted in A People’s History of the United States
⁹ Muriel Rukeyser, The Life of Poetry
¹⁰ Ebenezer Elliott, War