I was motivated and spurred on to write an anti-war/anti-military poem after reading news about the barbaric killing of an humanitarian worker, Alan Henning, who was captured and taken hostage by ISIL, I guess to be used as a bargaining chip - such disregard for a human life to be treated like such an object. Despite pleas not to go ahead with air strikes, David Cameron and his British government did anyway at the price of a life; Alan was just an expendable life to them I guess. David Cameron gave predictable shallow responses to such a tragedy, avoiding responsibility that he played a part in Alan's death. Of course, those ISIL extremists carried out the murder and I agree that they are savage, barbaric and evil individuals for whose lives I shall never weep.
But let's not forget, these heinous war crimes are not so one sided. Anybody who is willing to carry out an order to kill fellow humans from an authoritative figure are no different from one another in my eyes. There are clear double standards when it comes to the act of killing, which, I think, is never justifiable, and these can be observed in the media and social network. "Kill them! Nuke them! Torture the sick bastards!" People cry, oblivious to their hypocrisies. It seems that we're a long way to putting these retaliations to a stop, isn't it? We haven't progressed much from our primitive ancestors it seems. No, we have bigger and more dangerous weapons capable of global destruction to fight with now instead of swords and shields.
As usual, during these conflicts and hostilities, it's the civilians - the people who choose not to have any part in these wars - it's them who suffer the most. If only militants could throw down their weapons and tell their leaders to fuck off. Here's my poem:
Once again I'm reading horrific news
Another hostage has been murdered and you have been interviewed.
"How brutal and savage," you say with utmost propriety,
After just ordering air strikes over Iraq, oh the irony!
How many more innocent people will die?
Who will bring you to justice?
Also your hands are stained with the blood of the hostages
How can you claim any moral high ground?
Harbinger of death! Warmonger! Terrorist!
Fucking hypocrite!
You and those preceded you are responsible for thousands dead!
Safe in your secure home though, aren't you?
No one will drop a bomb over your head
No bullets will be fired at you; even so you'll be OK!
An expendable soldier will just stand in your way
Because, Mr. Grim Reaper, they'll do anything that you say
Have your suit dry cleaned, sit down and be comfortable
Your dirty work can be carried out by malleable people after all
For they are the scythe that you wield
That you grip tight, guide and use as a shield
The Grim Reaper cannot be killed
Thou kills
Savagery, brutality, barbarism, murder - words from Mr. Man of Justice
Justice. Justice? Justice?
Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!
Justice is another excuse for war, isn't it?
A word you utter to rile up your country's devotees
Luckily, prime sinister, they can't see through your disguise
Your hollow words and your umpteenth lies
I can. You're death unmasked
You've struck fear in the eyes of many lives!
How many of those call you and your army terrorists, I wonder?
Families and homes that have been torn asunder
As you callously give out an order
Don't they too seek justice?
Aren't they too just retaliating?
Retaliating begets retaliation;
Which is a vicious cycle that we mere pawns are caught up in
But you are just one of many reapers though, aren't you face of Britain?
Playing a game of "who can take the most pawns" while you kings get to live on
And the reaper who wins will stand alone
Reap at the devastation from the comfort of their throne
So, heinous reaper, reap good and reap well
Accumulate wealth and stay in good health
At the expense of ours, but just worry about your greedy self
Remember though, we keep you employed- aren't we the fools?
In solidarity we can topple your business of killing
Then you'd have no power to kill at all
And what would us people and our world do without a grim reaper, I wonder?
Live longer.
But let's not forget, these heinous war crimes are not so one sided. Anybody who is willing to carry out an order to kill fellow humans from an authoritative figure are no different from one another in my eyes. There are clear double standards when it comes to the act of killing, which, I think, is never justifiable, and these can be observed in the media and social network. "Kill them! Nuke them! Torture the sick bastards!" People cry, oblivious to their hypocrisies. It seems that we're a long way to putting these retaliations to a stop, isn't it? We haven't progressed much from our primitive ancestors it seems. No, we have bigger and more dangerous weapons capable of global destruction to fight with now instead of swords and shields.
As usual, during these conflicts and hostilities, it's the civilians - the people who choose not to have any part in these wars - it's them who suffer the most. If only militants could throw down their weapons and tell their leaders to fuck off. Here's my poem:
Once again I'm reading horrific news
Another hostage has been murdered and you have been interviewed.
"How brutal and savage," you say with utmost propriety,
After just ordering air strikes over Iraq, oh the irony!
How many more innocent people will die?
Who will bring you to justice?
Also your hands are stained with the blood of the hostages
How can you claim any moral high ground?
Harbinger of death! Warmonger! Terrorist!
Fucking hypocrite!
You and those preceded you are responsible for thousands dead!
Safe in your secure home though, aren't you?
No one will drop a bomb over your head
No bullets will be fired at you; even so you'll be OK!
An expendable soldier will just stand in your way
Because, Mr. Grim Reaper, they'll do anything that you say
Have your suit dry cleaned, sit down and be comfortable
Your dirty work can be carried out by malleable people after all
For they are the scythe that you wield
That you grip tight, guide and use as a shield
The Grim Reaper cannot be killed
Thou kills
Savagery, brutality, barbarism, murder - words from Mr. Man of Justice
Justice. Justice? Justice?
Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!
Justice is another excuse for war, isn't it?
A word you utter to rile up your country's devotees
Luckily, prime sinister, they can't see through your disguise
Your hollow words and your umpteenth lies
I can. You're death unmasked
You've struck fear in the eyes of many lives!
How many of those call you and your army terrorists, I wonder?
Families and homes that have been torn asunder
As you callously give out an order
Don't they too seek justice?
Aren't they too just retaliating?
Retaliating begets retaliation;
Which is a vicious cycle that we mere pawns are caught up in
But you are just one of many reapers though, aren't you face of Britain?
Playing a game of "who can take the most pawns" while you kings get to live on
And the reaper who wins will stand alone
Reap at the devastation from the comfort of their throne
So, heinous reaper, reap good and reap well
Accumulate wealth and stay in good health
At the expense of ours, but just worry about your greedy self
Remember though, we keep you employed- aren't we the fools?
In solidarity we can topple your business of killing
Then you'd have no power to kill at all
And what would us people and our world do without a grim reaper, I wonder?
Live longer.
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