A recent survey found that Americans, despite our strong economic statistics, are an unhappy and anxious population; and no wonder. When a recent New York Times headline said “President Insists He Doesn’t Want War With Iran,” what literate person reading didn’t feel a sense of doom? Trump, whom Politifact claims tells 30 verifiable lies a day, has chosen John Bolton as his National Security Adviser; and Bolton has wanted to bomb Iran for years. He fiercely supported the Vietnam and Iraq wars, both begun with false info (Tonkin Bay and “weapons of mass destruction”), and has cast his invasive eyes on Venezuela and Cuba as well. Bolton doesn’t believe in international treaties.
An old definition of poetry is “news that stays news.” I wrote this poem protesting the Vietnam War, which accounts for its slight foreign accent. As our government tosses soldiers, ships and words around, trying to goad Iran into some fatal blunder, maybe it’s time to bring it out again.
Ode to Good Men Fallen Before Hero Come
In all story before hero come
good men from all over set forth
to meet giant ogre dragon troll
and they are all killed every one
decapitated roasted cut in two
their maiden are carted away and gobbled like cupcake
until hero sail across white water
and run giant ogre dragon troll quite through
Land of course explode into rejoicing
and king’s daughter kisses horny knight
but who’s to kiss horny head of slaughtered
whose bony smile are for no one in particular
somewhere left out of story somebody’s daughter
remain behind general celebration
combing her hair without looking into mirror
rethinking life without Harry who liked his beer
I sing for them son friend brother
all women-born men like one we know
ourselves no hero they no Tristan
no St. George Gawain Galahad Sgt. York
they march again and again to be quartered and diced
and what hell for them never attempt to riddle
I’m talking about Harry Smith caught in middle
who fought pretty bravely for nothing and screamed twice
—by Peter Meinke, from The Night Train & the Golden Bird, U. of Pittsburgh Press, 1977
