Playing Red Light, Green Light with Freedom

Playing Red Light, Green Light with Freedom

in the haze

of history

man shows perfectly clear

motives 

for doing perfectly unclear

things

wars approach

take shape

in the distance

suddenly become visible

distinct

lead us to the brink of 

extinction

we own who we are

we supply munitions

to help wage

just to engage

as in little countries

people play tag with bombs

and no one is ever

olly olly oxen free

we are still beasts of an unnamed burden

doing perfectly unclear

things

defined by the next war

until we all become Midnight Ghosts.

Red Rover, Red Rover

send your troops over.

erin-cilberto

3/14/24

Reviews

[DecentlyOkayWriter]

people play tag with bombs
..........
The world is a bit of a crazy place, and the fact that the people who inhabit it tend to bicker with each other does not help at all- if we had this much power with the weapons of the world just a little bit sooner.. who knows if we would be here. Thanks for this. Keep writing! (Although.. you seem to have no trouble with that ;P)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind words,
j.

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Jacob… Midnight Ghosts will haunt our Dreams when Evil Villains Roam the Heavens. Prayers ascending… softly, Pat

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, I feel you are spot in with your line of thinking, Pat,
j.

[John the Baptist]

There was a period of about 200 years during Roman times when there were no major wars. It was called the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. But even then minor wars were taking place. I wonder if on some level we actually enjoy it.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

that's interesting, and maybe so.

[Anita Frader]

Humanity has a contradictory nature, exploring war, motives, and the burden of violence amid games and freedom. We will never have peace on earth.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

nor Goodwill towards men or women.
thank you, Anita,
j.

[Sami Khalil]

Wars and rumors of more wars are all we here on the news; mad Men, mad groups, mad countries are mad at each other with lots of historic, religious, political grievances, testing all new weapons here and there. They want real, tangible victories to satisfy their agenda and egos, buy they are hollow victories.
An excellent poem and points Jacob.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

very hollow...
thank you, Sami,
j.

[Sami Khalil]

Yes siiiirrrrr. You are welcome sir Jacob

[Stella Armour]

War and news updates are the wallpaper in our lives, whichever way we look it's there in the background ... lurking
Each side putting the fear of god into the more vulnerable side.... one of these days there will be a madman who presses the button for real.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

and Putin maybe that madman.
thank you, Stella,
j.

[andrew mitchell]

And that sums up how man has played out his existence . Funny, if we had nuclear capabilities centuries ago we may not be here now. Fine write.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I believe you are right about that, andrew,
j.

[Desert Knave]

Once in awhile I honestly expect someone to decide that a limited nuclear war can be won and try it. Yeah, we all pay the toll for the wars we wage, at home or abroad. ~Jim

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, we do. Thank you, Jim,
j.

[Poetic Beauty]

We are always playing war games. Trying to dominate and conquer. There never seems to be a time out or a freeze tag moment. Politicians decide what war or military action must come next but they themselves don’t have their own blood and skin in the game. The song War pigs comes to mind when reading this poem. It’s a tale as old as time and one day we are going to go extinct from our guns and bombs but make no miss in this world if we sit by and do not participate we will be blown to hell and back. It’s a viscous cycle never ending

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, that song...Ozzie and his Black Sabbath gang...They don't have skin in the game...If they did maybe it would make a big difference.
Thank you, P.B.
j.

[Poetic Beauty]

You are welcome