THE GENERAL

Take me to the trenches

etched into the flank of old nations

and show me, there, the folly of conflict:

rusted barbed wire sweet

stain of blood bones

pulverized honor

trampled

to dust

to dust

to dust

I'll see, and frown

a sympathetic frown

and bow my head in collusion

with the wise historian

the artful diplomat

the righteous pacifist

Then plunge spade

into the earth loamy

with death and wasted DNA

Pull an arrow from the quiver

of giddy Ambition

And stretch taut a smirk that says:

"No this is the War

to end

all wars."

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