There is no profit in peace, you know.
White Horse or Red, the blood must flow.
Human constructs, like Conquest or War,
Benefit the rich and bury the poor.
I think the Draft should be reinstated;
So that ALL might witness the horror created.
Send the war-mongers’ sons first,
To hold the Front Line’s Hell.
Watch them die, or even worse,
Return home, as a shell.
If politician’s kids are killed or maimed,
Will war then taste as good as they claimed?
Tell me:
What’s the magic, almighty dollar amount?
To make endless war worth the body count?
If Corporations are people, now, too,
Let’s send them to war, and see if it’s true.
Will those corporations scream in pain as they bleed?
Will they writhe in agony for a rich man’s greed?
Will they lose their limbs, and maybe their minds?
Does the Machine care about the bones, the bodies it grinds?
In the end:
There is no prophet of peace, you know.
The love of money is Greed: War’s C.E.O.
The wars will continue, the innocents will still fall.
And the Pale Horse’s rider will someday claim all.
– Corina L. Ravenscraft
Invitation: We’d like you to join us – not only as readers – but as writers by putting links to your own anti-war or pro-peace poems in the comment sections. Next week we’ll gather the links together in one post and put them up as a single page headed “Poets Against War.” Thank you!
© 2013, poem and portrait (below), Corina L. Ravenscraft, All rights reserved
Photo credits ~ dollar bill with gas mask via edgecast on Tumbler, second illustration is of a painting by Vallejo
CORINA L. RAVENSCRAFT (Dragon’s Dreams) ~ is a guest writer on Into the Bardo. She is a poet and writer, artist and librarian who has been charming us through her blog since 2000, longer than any blogger in our little blogging community. She tends to keep herself in the background, but in a 2011 Jingle Poetry interview with Blaga Todorova (Between the Shadows and the Soul) she revealed, “Dragon’s Dreams ~ The name comes from my love-affairs with both Dragons and Dreams (capital Ds). It’s another extension of who I am, a facet for expression; a place and way to reach other like-minded, creative individuals. I post a lot of poetry and images that fascinate or move me, because that’s my favorite way to view the world. I post about 
things important to me and the world in which we live, try to champion extra important political, societal and environmental issues, etc. Sometimes I wax philosophical, because it’s also a place where I always seem to learn about myself, too, by interacting with some of the brightest minds, souls and hearts out there. It’s all about ‘connection(s)’ and I don’t mean “net-working” with people for personal gain, but the expansion of the 4 L’s: Light, Love, Laughter, Learning.” The samples of Cornina’s art work, her popular Infinity-Möbius dragon, is copyright”Möbius Ouroboros.” If you click on them, you can view enlarged versions.
Thank you for sharing this. This is one of the awesomest poems in this series.
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I agree, Reena. Between the sense of outrage and the form it’s perfect.
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Guest poetess, Ms. Ravenport is what I’d call Meticulous in her correlations and blunt shock into immutable realities ~ Outstanding! Corina,, that piece you shared is heavy-footed in its description ! Fabulous writers! Applause! Faithfully Debbie
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Thanks so much, Jamie, for having me here! And many thanks to all who read and commented, and all the other poets who have made this event so meaningful. 🙂 There is power when we get together….power in the poems and words, and power in our thoughts and energy. Here’s to peace and the fight to manifest it globally!
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Corina, I do hope you will mine your posts and poems for others that you might share with us here.
Many blessings, Jamie
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Jamie, there is one other poem that I would consider offering, if you have room for it. It’s called “Price Check” and was written in 2012 regarding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. http://dragonkatet.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/price-check/
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You’ve got it, Corina. Thank you! 🙂
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Say Jamie I cannot imagine that you want me to put whole poems here. But there are no links. What should I do … OR is one poem enough? (I have about 20 war poems).
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This was written one day when I had returned home from teaching a creative writing class at the VA.
A Certain Madness
Each one came, soldier, marine, airman, frog
walking quietly as if wrapped from within
the cocoon of his own world.
War’s sad energy like a gray
heavy mist lay upon the shoulders of each,
reality spiking their dull black piercing shadows.
Each man sat at the table abandoned.
“Just a word”?
“Coffee please”.
“May we write yet?”
And then he stood.
A large and heavy presence, poorly balanced.
He shouted …
“Don’t you see them?
There, in the corners … one in each corner.”
“How dare they come here?
I ought-a know,
I was with the CIA.”
Then he sat down defeated again.
He seemed to relax until another
Stream of madness crept out of his throat.
“I will NOT be giving you a sample today!
There will be no writing samples.
THEY … are here for that reason you know, to collect them.”
And I thought to myself,
Does the madness hide the pain?
Or perhaps this pain drives one mad.
2008 © Liz Rice-Sosne
There are no links to these poems they reside in my computer.
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Liz, thank you for this. Will email you later today. On the run …
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This is an extraordinary piece. Thank you Corina
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Excellent poem indeed.
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I like the idea of drafting Corporations into the military…since they’re people, too, by law. Play out the absurdity; see what happens.
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Interesting, isn’t it, Priscilla. Thanks for visits and comments. I know these are busy days for you. When I get a breather – LOL! – I’ll catch up with you too. Meanwhile, be well …
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Yes! I agree with Jamie. It is full of indignation, which isn’t often expressed so liberally these days, as most have become compassion fatigued and brainwashed by war’s justification as we hunt our would-be terrorists under every bed. Great stuff, Paula.
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Indeed, the war without weapons, killing nevertheless.
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Cornia, this is such a well-wrought poem and so driven by the right indignation. I’ve enjoyed reading it again and again. Well done and thank you for allowing us to share it here.
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