Poetry

Fifty-Five First
by Earl Bergland, 1990

The rotted fidelity, the cruel hypocrisy ended.
Fathers can no longer sacrifice sons to war gods.
The collusion of sons, mothers and daughters (SMD)
Championed a world Fifty-Five First Law (FFF).

Generals exchanged swaggering for swearing,
Boxed top secrets papers for recycling.
The Chamber of Commerce lowered to half-mast its flag,
A lovely black cloth with a skull and cross bones.
Old arrogant politicians, sand castles,
Fearing the hungry white-fanged waves, contracted sphincters.
The self-polluted military-industrial-political complex,
The tax dollar-sucking baboons of buffoonery, extinct.

Fifty-five and older males hit the trenches first.
Ideological differences need the attack of wise men.
Those most responsible for mistakes, politicians,
Win first rights to trench trophies, purple hearts.
Doctors are excluded from battle areas,
No need to save the non-creative, a burden to mankind.
Those who demand war as a problem-solving method
Need to savor wounds without medical interference.
War is for the manly men, battle-axe warriors,
Not technicians pressing buttons, yelling medic.

Imagine back home the young bucks' available addictions.
First, the concerned words of "not died in vain" thing.
So much to do with daddy gone mmmmmmm mmmmmm.
The rapture of activities: business, women, sports!
Imagine old men in trenches checking blood pressure,
Faxing home inquiries of business, clubs, yachts!

Enough, dismiss the illusions! Politicians decree.
Compromise is the paramount principle of patriotism.

notes:
Killing millions of young soldiers has not stopped wars.
Let us see if killing a few thousand politicians and generals would stop wars.
Why should politicians be allowed to live who are incapable of solving problems peacefully?

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Writing Poetry

Why Poetry? Poems are written by people who are too lazy to write a book. Most people who write poetry would do more good for the world by growing flowers or painting old barns. But we need to have patience because many young poets just need a few years of practicing as do musicians.
What are the three basic requirements for a quality poem?
A. The topic must be very important.
B. The poet must express thoughts with clarity.
C. The poem must create a dramatic impact (create an emotional feeling) in reader.
Is poetry a waste of time? That is a tough question. We can wonder the same thing about fishing or watching a football game. A poem provides the poet with a means of expressing ideas and feelings by a very personal means. Playing basket ball or cooking is also a means of personal expression.
What kind of an attitude should we have about reading poetry? Imagine sitting in a park on a spring day listening to your friend discuss ideas with you. Poets love waterfalls and country fried chicken.