The Fog of War

The gears of War are turning

The war machine is moving

Grinding, rumbling along on mechanical wheels

Belching out a choking smog

That hangs thick upon the land

A dense, choking, black fog;

The fog of War.

 

The air is thick -

With the grating sound

Of metal upon metal;

With the click-clack of ammunition

Being loaded into Death’s chambers;

With the stirring, rallying calls

To be brave, to be stout, to arms;

With the fog of War.

 

And soon the air will be thick

With the sonorous cries

Of Death and all his minions -

The drone in the sky of Death overhead;

The rumbling groan of Death on wheels;

The stamp-stamp-march of Death on foot;

With the cries of the stricken

And the cries of the strikers.

 

There are no Men here -

This ghastly arena of M16-toting gladiators

Performing, as ever, on the world stage -

For no humanity can exist in a battlefield

Whose only purpose is to extinct it

And no victory can exist in a battlefield

Except, of course, for the Undertakers...

No, there are no men here

Only Death.

 

The fog of War is upon us

Thick as a winter morning

We send our sons out rejoicing

We welcome them back with mourning

They flew out in proud military vessels

That flew back looking more like couriers’ -

Full with nothing

But boxes.

 

 

 

Reviews

[Meghan]

This was such a powerful,intriguing piece. Great job. thanks for sharing

[M.Babu]

You know how much i enjoy your pieces so i won't even waste alot of time.

"The fog of War is upon us
Thick as a winter morning
We send our sons out rejoicing
We welcome them back with mourning
They flew out in proud military vessels
That flew back looking more like couriers’ -
Full with nothing
But boxes."

There is such a finality to these words and the clarity with which you've laid the piece out just leaves a hanging thought over the reader. "Be wary of warmonger-ism" I guess is what i got from this piece...we need to find other ways to solve our problems before we resort to war...but i guess war is inevitable ==> international society don't always share the same acuity... sad really...

Good one.

~~M.Babu~

[Kiri Nells]

Wow! I haven't contacted you a very long time. You were probably one of the first people I met on WC back in February. How could I forget how impressive your work is?

This piece is great! It's powerful, emotional, and exceptionally well written.
Thanks for sharing your work with me after such a long time.

[SINDE]

I love the timeliness of this piece. It delivers the truth about war in the most artistic way.
''And no victory can exist in a
battlefield
Except, of course, for the
undertakers...
No, there are no men here
Only Death...''

War's main objective is to subdue the opponent and death is the only way to do so. The last verse is just awesome.

The fog of War is upon us
Thick as a winter morning
We send our sons out rejoicing
We welcome them back with
mourning
They flew out in proud military
vessels
That flew back looking more like
couriers’ -
Full with nothing
But boxes.

AWESOME piece. It struck me with reality.