The Abstracted Ideas That Nations Have
(thoughts about long war and silence)
I
When my father was born, the dead fell in the fields outside of Rome
Democratic and Fascist armies reeled hard right around the Eternal Capital
Divine return for a silent Pope who had brokered a Romanista bye
Talons in, it was rumoured
As long as He didn’t say shit about the fight
Blood passage around Tiber walls
While outside the Seven Hills
Millions died
For the abstracted ideas that nations have
II
When I was born, the dead fallen on the jungle floors of Asia
Democratic and Communist armies butchered themselves hard
Through thickets and snakes and Dioxin rain
The Americans had paraded a pretty, Catholic President then
Killing him in the Southern Sun
Some say so he wouldn’t say shit about the fight
And under tropic skies
Millions died
For the abstracted ideas that nations have
III
When my sons were born, the dead fell in the Eastern deserts
Democratic and Muslim armies slaughtering themselves in the sand tonight still
And a new American Supreme Court
With its first Catholic majority in history
Won’t say shit about the fight
Swords to bury justice should we raise our heads
At kings and oil where
Millions to die
For the abstracted ideas that nations have
IV
This is the Long War they now say
Rebirth of the absurd
That convenient ones possible and pondered
That vegetarian options were on the menu
But forgone for the fuel of meat because of our forced hunger
This is the Long War they now say
Relentlessly hammered for the need to flame the New Fear
They’ve won too fast, too often
And in too many places
Drained of ideologies to conquer
And of enemies to kill
This is the Long War they now say
They’ve come too dangerously close to the brink
Of winning it all
So dangerously close to all in
That whispers about the end of war
Began in your lifetime
V
And then suddenly stopped
VI
As if out of a black Baghdad sky
As if out of a blue New York sky
As if out of a black Baghdad sky again
Epilogue
After the Long War, when my sons’ sons were born,
Poisoned pens turned Democratic armies to slaughter each other
My enemy looked like you, and yours like me
And your church, like mine,
Didn’t say shit about the fight
And under northern forests and suburban skies
None of our children said shit
As they raged to kill each other by the million
For the abstracted ideas that nations have
