Against the Next War
In response to CafePhilos’s call to make peace viral. A noble effort, and worth a try. Please give his post a read.
Trying to do a slam-style poem. I really hope the audio turned out OK on this. Apologies if it’s too quiet, I’m still figuring out how to make videos.
If I imagine them
Taking my brother away to war
I shatter.
I don’t want to lose anyone.
Especially not to something as stupid
As war.
Maybe you like the idea of war
Because you’ve confused real life with action movies.
Maybe you hate another group of people for what they have done.
I can’t convince you to forgive another’s atrocities
That is something you must grow into on your own.
But I can beg you this:
When dogs of war bark
Don’t feed them.
You will be told it is the honorable thing
To die for your country.
You will be told you have enemies abroad
Monsters in human flesh.
But the monsters are in your back yard
Baying for blood.
Don’t
feed
them.
You will be told
That if you love your family
You will abandon it
And submit yourself to the state.
Give up your mind, body, and soul
To be consumed.
Don’t feed them.
You will be called weak
You will be called subversive
You will be stamped
Kicked
Drowned
Thrown into jail
Dumped in the gutter.
Still,
don’t feed them.
They will scream about the chaos
Unleashed in the world
They will plead for your aid
They will put weeping women before you
They will show you the bodies of children
They will appeal to your humanity.
But if you join them
You become the monster.
You will rape the women
You will bomb the children
You will force them all into the machines.
Don’t feed them.
They offer you money
Insurance for your families
Early retirement.
Ask your wife how she feels
When you go abroad.
She may smile then, proud and supportive,
But when she gets the letter,
Insurance will be a cold comfort
A reminder
That her loved one was eaten alive.
Don’t feed them.
The politicians get fatter.
The generals get fatter.
Our fearless leaders
Have little to lose.
What is noble
About sacrificing yourself for these people?
Are they so wise, so just?
They have enough.
Don’t feed them.
Fresh Hell 
Pathetic, Sarah, just pathetic. A transparent attempt to get into by britches where you can have your evil ways with me by creating possibly the very best anti-war poem I’ve ever read. You’ll have to do better than that, you know. I’m no push-over.
Powerful, moving, above all, fresh, creative, and true. Absolutely, brutally honest and true. Think you can get anywhere with tricks like that?
I wasn’t born yesterday, Sarah, just because I like as a person doesn’t mean we’re going to be taking long warm showers together. I hope you know that. I have my celibacy you know. It’s given me the best years of my life. I’m not going to betray it for someone who has so clearly bribed the slut-Goddess of poetry to create such an excellent poem. In fact, I’m worried about your morals now. Bribery? Tsk! Tsk!
I’ll email you my number ASAP. Maybe I can catch an early morning flight. Off to check that right now. Bringing a surrogate with me in case I’m not up to your standards. You deserve the best, you wonder woman!
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LOL, I’m glad you liked it. I worked my ass off on this one! I had to sacrifice SO MANY CATS, mocha lattes, and vibrators to the slut-goddess of poetry.
And if it brings you closer to me, so much the better. …uh, bring the surrogate though, just in case.
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GOOD GODS! I just now listened to you. What a voice! The poem’s actually improved — you could not have told me that moments ago.
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Thank you!! ^_^ Slam poetry is better aloud! I had to change the tone of my voice to make it fit. I must have recorded it a dozen times before I was happy with it.
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great piece and worked really well read for sure
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Thank you so much, Michael! 🙂
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I wanted to say lots of great things, but that madman got in first. I agree with everything he said about your poem. It’s… I can’t find a word which does it justice. Will spectacular do? In the words of our friend the sex-maniac, it’s
possiblythe very best anti-war poem I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a few. And the audio – incredible. I can’t even manage to hate you for writing something which exceeds anything I could do on this subject. You give me no choice but to love you – and to reblog.LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m so confused, these are things I’m supposed to be saying to YOU?
I am really happy you liked it so well! Thank you so much for reblogging it. My poem is honored to be on your site, it’s blushing.
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We all get used to reading gushing praise for poems that are no more than OK, so it’s hard for me to describe how your poem affected me. I wish your audio could be played on a daily basis all around the world, for every living human to hear. It would do more than preach to the converted – it’d change people’s perspectives. That’s how powerful it is.
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I don’t know what to say except thank you! ❤ ❤ ❤
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Reblogged this on Making it write and commented:
I’m stunned. This is an absolutely brilliant poem. Paul Sunstone says it’s “possibly the very best anti-war poem I’ve ever read.” Possibly? POSSIBLY? Either he is a fool, or he’s too ignorant to be able to spell the word ‘undeniably’. Both, I suspect. The poem was written by Sarah at Fresh hell.
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Wow, if this is what falls out of your head, never stop letting stuff fall !
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Thank you! This one actually took a bit of hammering to get it out 😀
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Hope your head has recovered x It got to me more, I think, because my son signed up for the AUstralian Air Force a couple of years ago. I hope and pray that war never breaks out for selfish reasons – and for the greater good, I have linked to it in my post today – used a couple of lines for what I call Steps for Peace – https://soulgifts.com.au/2018/08/21/the-neighbourhood-snoop/
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Ooh, that’s scary. I have a couple of friends in the military and I worry about them. I can’t imagine if I had a kid in there!
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It was his choice and he loves it. His job is not front-line as he does radar maintenance kinda stuff. He assures me if war breaks out he will be well and truly out of the way…. who knows. It will provide him with a very transferable set of skills once he leaves.
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Oh, that actually sounds like a pretty cool job! As long as he is happy. I’m glad he’ll be relatively safe if anything happens.
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Makes me feel better. His term is for 4 years unless he decides to renew.
I noticed you’re now following me – thank you so much! Your blog piques my interest and I have been working towards spending some time with you there. Looking forward to it.
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“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
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And do be careful of that Paul person if he turns up on your doorstep. I have it on reliable’ish information he may be a pirate in disguise….
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Bahaha! It’s a thin disguise isn’t it! I’ll be sure not to let him in the house until all the valuables have been squirreled away.
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Best be safe. You never know…. 🙂
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A simply brilliant piece, so powerful, poignant and stabbing me straight in the heart…..
“Are they so wise, so just?
They have enough.
Don’t feed them.”
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Oh no! I didn’t want to stab kind Ivor in the heart! I’ll chalk it up to another awful thing war hath wrought. The compliment warmed mine though ❤
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I’ve saved your poem and I’m going to feature it in a post of mine later in the week, so all my readers get to see your glorious words, xx
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I am honored!
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Pingback: The Neighbourhood Snoop – soulgifts – Telling Tales
I came by via Ivor’s blog!
Your poem really touched me, Sarah. It’s so powerful and brought tears.
When I was little girl, my oldest brother was 18 years old and he went into the Army and then to Vietnam.
(((HUGS)))
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Thank you so much for commenting to let me know!
I’m sorry your family had to go through that. I know some people who went to Vietnam too. What a tragic mess!
The very best to you and yours ❤
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Reblogged this on Go Dog Go Café and commented:
Paul Sunstone chose this piece for Pay It Forward Thursday
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Wow! Brilliant piece.
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Thank you, Eugenia 🙂
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the softness in your voice gives this poem it’s impact, like we are straining to hear the truth, so well done!
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I was worried it was TOO quiet so I’m glad to hear you say that, thank you so much! 💕
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it was the quiet but steadiness of your voice and electrified the air as you read, it was very tangible. I liked it very much
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I value your feedback, thank you again!
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I’m with Eugenia!!! Wow! Such a Brilliant piece. You have pulled back the curtain on the lies and false premises used to justify war! Bellissimo, My Dear Friend, Bellissimo!!! A really Fantastic Piece!!
Chuck
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Yay, you said bellissimo!! The only response is to blow a loud and emphatic kiss back at you, thank you!
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Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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Wow! Thank you. ^_^
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It’s like the two wolves fighting inside you. One a good wolf, one a bad one. Which one will you be? The one you feed…. (Old Native American story.) Mesmerizing poem!
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This is SO impressive, thanks for your insightful poetic rendition … “DON”T FEED THEM!”
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Thank you!
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you are most welcome, this is gifted 🙂
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Jane, Ivor, Kate. Sarah, Gina, and anyone else who is interested. What do you think of setting up a new blog called “Against the Next War”. We could publish on it, all of us, keep things alive.
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If anyone wants to go in on this, I could set up the blog today.
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Great idea, you go for it … I’m already juggling three blogs, one too many for me so I wont get involved
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THREE? links plz?
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Love this one …
https://meetthebloggersblog.wordpress.com/
This one I play only a nominal role in so may drop it soon …
https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/
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Oh, it’s cute!
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thanks so much!
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You wouldn’t be able to expect much but a guest post or two out of me, this is all the blog I can handle right now! I’m sorry.
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No worries. Quite understandable. Not sure I can handle more than one blog myself, really.
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Brilliant. It’s right up there with Mom’s eulogy poem.
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Still… working my way up to posting that one. Or maybe I’m just waiting for a creative dry spell.
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