the title speaks for itself

Children make good bullets

In this society that
reproduces ammunition
instead of offspring
children serve their
purpose well having
memorized that one
sacred commandment
honor they father
and thy mother
as they are shipped
off to war zones
and discover themselves
quite capable
of killing
each other
instead of
the parents
that sent them.

Intrusion of race

A lone Black man
back pedals comments
offering an opinion
into a Caucasian quartet
consisting of two white
women and two white males
all just at drinking age
he frowns at
their lack of response
they continue to prattle.


Children without manners

Children without manners
are sent into the battlefield
to be rude to each other.

Without their knowledge
real bullets, i.e.
live ammunition
is substituted
for the fake, i.e.
dead values
that sent them
there.


cHILDREN wITHOUT nAMES

sENATORS, pRESIDENTS
aND oTHER pOLITICIANS
pOMPOUS oR oTHERWISE
pURPOSELY
dO nOT kNOW tHE nAMES
oF tHE cHILDREN tHEY
sHIP oFF tO wAR
aS sOLDIERS.

rEPORTEDLY
tHEY oNLY kNOW
tHE rANK aND sERIAL nUMBER
oF tHESE G.I. Joes aND Josephines
jUST aS iF tHEY wERE
bEING tORTURED dURING
a pROLONGED aND uTTERLY pAINFUL
iNTERROGATION
oF tHESE nAMELESS cHILDREN.


Children as tears

The wounded
children
appeared
as tears
parading
on the face of
God.


Lamentation

A sightless poet
lamented that
he could not see
that he hears
too much
and feels things
unseen and
that should
never be
felt.

I tell him
he should be
very happy
he is
not
blind.


Man without charm

He has not bathed
in something like
12 years
or so it appears.

He soldiered
for his country
bravely retaliating
unknown forces
until his own country
retaliated upon him
eventually leaving him homeless.

You could probably
plant grass seed
or flowers
or even vegetables
on this rich loam
he has cultivated
after all these
years of disarmament
and become
a walking garden.

I wonder about
the potentiality
of cows grazing
on his loneliness
or his courage.

© 2000 lgjaffe