The War Machine
And so the War Machine turns on. Churning, yearning for more, burning all it sees.
First He took my father, for the cause we said.
The War to End All Wars sparked new wars. And so we fought on.
The fierce fight to falter fascism. Felling men and forcing famine.
Next He took my brother, but victory was near they said.
We plunged on, trudged on. Fought on and carried on and on
And on we went to death and destruction
Peace and democracy. Peace and diplomacy. The paltry diplomacy of war.
Catastrophe and chaos. All in the name of the cause.
Vietnam took our brothers voraciously, vapidly. Violently.
Iraq took our sons. Irately, inhumanely. Indiscriminately.
We took their sons. Selfishness, soulless. Sordidly.
We fought for the cause.
What we never knew: the cause won’t fight for us.
