If the War Goes On

(dedicated to the great Herman Hesse)

If the war goes on,
what but gore shall be achieved?
what wealth shall be accrued but
living upon mourned son?

If the war goes on,
what shall be the harvest
in the fields ploughed with trenches
unplanted but with bullets,
and fertilized with human blood?

If the war goes on,
how shall the children ever get to bed
with their ears tormented with dinner-table dogma
and howling rockets overhead?

If the war goes on,
what shall be the spoils
but vendetta piled upon vendetta
vengeance upon vengeance¦

covering up the meadows and flowers
till there's no sunshine
that can pierce the fogs of hate¦
and "Jihad!, Jihad!
is the only song to soothe the babes?