Undeceived

Wrote this for a long answer question on an English test about authority, nationalism, and/or war.

Undeceived – May 3, 2011

To fight for the country, a marvelous thing
We’re told of the glory, when killings not sin
Defending our people, helping save lives
Killing those killers is right in our eyes

Young ones see glory, heroism, honor
The romance of war, not the guns nor the fire
They’ll come home as heroes, their enemies vanquished
Having fought, having won, gifts will be lavished

But where is the thought, the chance of a loss?
The focus is on one side but never across
When someone wins, then one always loses
Death fights for no side and accepts no excuses

Glory and romance and heroes are gone
Fire and shooting and death now belong
The stories they told us, of winning and honor
Never mentioned the screaming, how dying men holler...

The lies of authority ring in our ears
But to be called a coward...that everyone fears
We continue to fight, we face certain death
But those leaders, we’ll curse them with dying breath

Going in Circles

Going in Circles - April 29, 2011

Why is the last one always yucky?
There’s just one left in the bag
All the rest were fine and dandy
But that last one must be bad

No one wants to drink
The dribbles at the bottom
Something settles; good’s all gone
They’ve made evaporation station

The end is always sad
Even in the best of films
If you enjoyed it, now it’s over
No more, all gone, too bad

When something ends, the universe
Is mostly still intact
The old is gone but new will come
Beginnings need time to start

A first is always scary
Nerve-racking and teeth chatt’ring
But once in the groove
A first is fun, a start, a new beginning

No one would like anything
If they didn’t try it first
If they didn’t start, they wouldn’t know
We’d be stuck there being sad

Chapters end and chapters start
Beginning, end, beginning, end
The cycle of life circles round
Start, finish, start, finish