Poets Against War continues the tradition of socially engaged poetry by creating venues for poetry as a voice against war, tyranny and oppression.
Alfred de Zayas
55 years old
Seattle for a visit
J.D. Harvard 1970, Dr. Phil. Göttingen 1977. Member, New York Bar; visiting professor of international law at various universities. Secretary of P.E.N. Centre of the Suisse Romande (French-speaking Switzerland). Former Secretary, United Nations Human Rights committee; early retired from UN 2003 in order to devote time to teaching, writing, research.
Beatitudes
Can you tell me who is good and who is bad? The ancient "we and they" divides us artificially. Yet for the children of New York and Baghdad only one equation counts: their shared humanity.
Woe upon the men who would unleash a war regardless of the risks, impervious to the law! Alas, the many nations that such crimes abhor may fail to stop the programmed "Shock and Awe".
But silence now would make us guilty too. Protest we must: Prevent "preventive war"! Who are the victims, who the victimizers? Who? Ourselves, our leaders! To the White House: Mirror!
Blest are the peacemakers, children of our God.* Deplore the wielders of the sword: they must one day account. Our Chief may go to church, but does he grasp the core of Christianity? It is the Sermon on the Mount.
* Matthew 5:9.
Panem et circenses*
No need for gladiators and chariot races. We watch another show: Bombs over Baghdad.
CNN will entertain us: it's the Showdown with Saddam, with smart bombs, surgical strikes and lots of pretty explosions.
Who cares about so-called collateral damage, when our science is so aesthetic and we test such clever weapons?
War should always be primetime, without too many commercials. We love our panem et circenses: the new lions and Christians show.
* Bread and circus games (Juvenal, Satires, X, 81)
Dinosaurs
For two hundred million years they roamed the planet, the dinosaurs. And disappeared. Undeservedly.
For scarcely a million years we hominids have pretended to rule the earth.
Our love of war will surely hasten our disappearance. Deservedly.
(c) Alfred de Zayas
3 anti-war poems post 19 March 2003 (revised/updated)
PANEM ET CIRCENSES*
No need for gladiators, chariot races.. for we watch much better shows: “Afghanistan in flames” to crush the Taliban, then follows “Bombs over Baghdad”.
For CNN and Fox can always entertain us : ‘twas the Showdown with Bin Laden ‘twas the Showdown with Saddam, with our smart bombs and explosions compliments of Uncle Sam.
Now, who should care about the damage, whether willed or just collateral, when our science is aesthetic and we test such clever weapons ? Let’s be patriotic, not pathetic -- Pathos is for adolescents.
War should always be primetime, with few or no commercials. Yes, we love our panem et circenses : our up-dated “lions versus Muslims” show !
* Bread and circus games (Juvenal, Satires, X, 81).
DINOSAURS
For two hundred million years they roamed the planet, the great and lesser dinosaurs. One day they disappeared. Deservedly or not.
For scarcely a million years hominids have been pretending to be the rulers of the earth.
Our love of war and habits of pollution may yet our disappearance hasten. Perhaps deservedly.
BEATITUDES
Can you tell me who is good and who is bad ? The ancient "we and they" divides us artificially. Yet for the children of New York and Baghdad only one equation counts: their shared humanity.
Woe upon the men who have unleashed a war through propaganda lies, in breach of every law ! Alas, the many nations that such crimes abhor have failed to stop the programmed "Shock and Awe".
But silence now would make us guilty too. Protest we must: Condemn colonial wars! Who are the victims, who the victimizers? Who? Ourselves, our leaders! To the White House: Mirrors !
Blest are the peacemakers, children of our God.* Deplore the wielders of the sword: they must one day account. Our Chief is seen in church, but does he grasp the core ? It is the Sermon on the Mount.
* Matthew V, 9
manichaean games
Manichaean games in black and white are played by ideologues whose world is colorblind.
With certainties of good and bad, they drive young soldiers to their graves and carnage the civilians too in name of just wars and democracy.
Fatigued old myths of patriotism hide the slaughter in a haze of heroism. Perpetrators play the role of victims Victims are maligned as perpetrators
Top dogs dress as underdogs, while underdogs await their turn. In cycles guilt and innocence are galloping to nothingness.
Janus-faced our world appears, confusing yin and yang A chorus sings our requiem while Lysistrata offers peace.
