France looked at me

            with wide, tri-color eyes

            and swore she had the best

            interests of humanity at heart,

                        then guillotined

                        an aristocracy

                        to purify her blood.

Spain studied the dark-

            skinned merchandise

            crammed in the holds

            of her ships,           

                        then knelt, genuflected,

                        and sent missionaries

to revel in righteousness.

Germany sent her children

                                    to summer camp

                                    where they could learn

                                    to float like smoke,

                                                then raised her right arm

                                                and snapped a salute

                                                to the dead.

America proclaimed all men

                                    equal, but to protect

                                    her freedom, she painted

                                    Arabs as villains, fanatics,

                                                then pledged her forces to

                                                the extermination of those terrorists

                                                who wore checkered keffiyehs.

For the good of the world, of course.

01/25/2004

Author's Note: In response to the current GD thread about the legitimacy of poetry as forum for political stances. Does this cease to become poetry-- or "good" poetry-- just because it's political?

Posted on 01/26/2004
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