Poem: To the Governments....
I was sent this by the mother of one of the July 7th passengers. Her daughter died in the Piccadilly line suicide bomb attack and was travelling in my carriage when it was bombed.
TO THE GOVERNMENTS/DICTATORS/PRESIDENTS/RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND SUNDRY TITLED PERSONS WHO HEAD COUNTRIES/STATES/ ENGAGED IN ACTIVE WARS
you send them off to war
to fight your fight
in the name of god
in the name of justice
you send them
you say "we are saving this country"
by invading it
you say "it’s what their people want"
you say "we have to stop them, they
are developing nuclear capability"
you say "we must expect collateral damage"
speak-ease for dead soldiers from
your country and dead civilians
from the country you are "rescuing"
you say "they stole our land 100’s if not 1000’s of
years ago – it isn’t fair"
you say "they have insulted our god – they must
die for that"
you say "our god is a peaceful god who must be
avenged with violence"
you say "they have killed one of us, we must kill
more of them – to show them they cannot
do this"
you say "we must fight terrorism"
you say "to fight terrorism we must take away
some of your basic democratic civil rights"
you say "we are right – it is for your own good"
you say "you don’t understand it is complex"
you are right on one count
and one count only
I don’t understand
I don’t understand in the name of god, any god
I don’t understand in the name of justice
the continual sanctioning of the waste of lives
on endeavours based on any of the above reasons
I probably don’t understand because it is complex
you say
and I am only a mother of one of the dead
but I know something you don’t understand
because it is too simple for you to understand
that every death is a person not a number
that every death is someone’s child, maybe
a brother or a sister too
that every death is not a solitary step
that every death effects that person’s family and friends
that if you received a knock at your door
to take your son to war for the better good
that if your child were waiting for the tube
and a bomber said to him/her
I am going to randomly set off a bomb
people will die
you might die
you can call a parent to substitute
would you go or would you say
he/she is collateral
the price of our war on terror
has to be paid by someone
it is simple
and I do not understand
TO THE GOVERNMENTS/DICTATORS/PRESIDENTS/RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND SUNDRY TITLED PERSONS WHO HEAD COUNTRIES/STATES/ ENGAGED IN ACTIVE WARS
you send them off to war
to fight your fight
in the name of god
in the name of justice
you send them
you say "we are saving this country"
by invading it
you say "it’s what their people want"
you say "we have to stop them, they
are developing nuclear capability"
you say "we must expect collateral damage"
speak-ease for dead soldiers from
your country and dead civilians
from the country you are "rescuing"
you say "they stole our land 100’s if not 1000’s of
years ago – it isn’t fair"
you say "they have insulted our god – they must
die for that"
you say "our god is a peaceful god who must be
avenged with violence"
you say "they have killed one of us, we must kill
more of them – to show them they cannot
do this"
you say "we must fight terrorism"
you say "to fight terrorism we must take away
some of your basic democratic civil rights"
you say "we are right – it is for your own good"
you say "you don’t understand it is complex"
you are right on one count
and one count only
I don’t understand
I don’t understand in the name of god, any god
I don’t understand in the name of justice
the continual sanctioning of the waste of lives
on endeavours based on any of the above reasons
I probably don’t understand because it is complex
you say
and I am only a mother of one of the dead
but I know something you don’t understand
because it is too simple for you to understand
that every death is a person not a number
that every death is someone’s child, maybe
a brother or a sister too
that every death is not a solitary step
that every death effects that person’s family and friends
that if you received a knock at your door
to take your son to war for the better good
that if your child were waiting for the tube
and a bomber said to him/her
I am going to randomly set off a bomb
people will die
you might die
you can call a parent to substitute
would you go or would you say
he/she is collateral
the price of our war on terror
has to be paid by someone
it is simple
and I do not understand
posted by Rachel at 7:56 am
Only people who care will read the poem. People who don't care, like Tony Blair, won't read it.
sums up the thoughts of so many....why is is that there's one who will not listen?
Says it so right. I was thinking the same thing a few weeks ago. I wonder if our leaders would be happy for their kids to go off to war? Or if one of their kids were on the tubes/bus how would they react?
BBx
When Cherie Blair was on TV a couple of years back explaining why she had got involved with an alleged conman when buying some flats, she broke down and cried as she recalled sending her son, Euan, off to university. Now, if the thought of sending your child off to study makes you cry (and I have felt that way myself) how would sending your child of to kill and be killed make you feel?
I believe that all wars are wrong, but fighting in Iraq is so wrong. Those poor people were in a weak enough state to begin with, what with Saddam, sanctions, the previous conflicts (gulf war and war with Iran). How much more can they take?
As a matter of interest, I would love to know what Blair's kids think about things. I wonder if they will give interviews when they are older. His daughter, Kathryn, turns 18 in a few days time. Maybe we will hear from her one day. She looks like a sensitive person!
The poem is very moving, that the author is not only a poet but the mother of a victim of ''The war On Terror'' is even more powerful.
Wow. It's an amazing poem.
It stirrs up so many emotions. I don't understand why people have to go to war. Too many people are dying. Nobody deserves this. I can't imagine how I would feel if my brother had to go to war.
wow.