An Embarassing Question

By Ewan

Mon, 24 Mar 2008
  • 1782 reads
9 comments
 

What?
What did I do in the war?
Which war?
Oh, was it not?
What was it then?

People died you know:
there were tanks and mines
and planes with bombs that
weren’t so smart as they
thought.

There always are.

I did what I was told:
I listened to a war
I couldn’t see from
five-and-a-half miles
above the battlefield.

Certificate U
Poem
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by mykle on
I really like this Ewan! It provokes the question "How many would support a war if they knew they would have to fight, and maybe die, in it?".

Submitted by mykle on
It's probably worth adding that since the number of American soldiers killed in Iraq has finally reached 4,000 what is the number of Iraqi deaths? Perhaps more importantly, if the intention was to aid the Iraqis why does the horrendous amount of innocent Iraqi civilian deaths and mutilations seem so unimportant to those trying to pretend it wasn't for the oil? If you're not American you don't really count I suspect!

Submitted by Ewan on
The number of Iraqi deaths is something the West prefers not to think about. Having served 23 years I had, and have, great respect for my ex-colleagues, sadly I have lost all respect for the politicians who really don't have a clue. 'Without a shot being fired,' anyone? I really would like to 'embed' one or two of them with a platoon in Basra. They would deflate like the self-important bladders they are. Respect the soldier, he doesn't choose the wars.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by littleditty on
Thought provoking write Ewan -really good, thanks

 

Submitted by keleph on
i remember hearing the number of iraqis killed was 600 000, but i wasnt sure so i just looked on wikipedea. one independent estimate says around a million, the iraq health ministry say 100 000. anyway i think no poem can beat "Dulce et decorum est..." when it comes to war poetry, but we should always keep trying, well done.

keleph

Submitted by BeamsAndVoids on
But the soldier does choose to join the army, nowadays anyway. I don't think it's all the politicians' fault. They weren't there in Abu Gharib(spelling?). You're like a modern day Owen or Sassoon! :)

 

Submitted by Ewan on
"They weren't there in Abu Gharib" No, you're right, they weren't in Abu Ghraib. Neither were the British Army. The incidents in which the British Army have been involved, and there are several, are for the most part due to a complete lack of training for prisoner handling or having no clear idea of objectives in the early period of the 'reconstruction'. I joined the Air Force in 1982 after a year on the dole; I wasn't the only one. Ah yes, the late Bill Owen, Compo from Last of the Summer Wine, and Vidal Sassoon would that be? :-)

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by anipani on
i liked this, the frightening state of our world is the ennui which is suffered en masse. personal experience, well honed and communicated speaks volumes. thanks

anipani

Submitted by jennifer on
This has just inspired me to write one of my own about war, literally just now. This is why I love this site - a whole site of muses...writers' heaven!