DieterM
12-01-2017, 04:47 AM
Remember – at that age
when everything is stumbling words,
inquiring minds, self-righteousness,
we asked, 'What did you do in thirty-nine?'
Our granddad winked, then grinned,
he always had his sly ways. Then he said,
'I fought.' – 'And on which side?'
'The side that asked me.
What would you have done?'
This was so long ago that life
has filed off most of our self-righteousness
and dulled our inquiring minds
because some things are better left unknown.
Oblivious, we watch as our world
begins to slide over an edge
long lost and banned.
As some fire off messages into the masses
like others would drive trucks into a crowd,
we look at flies and hum
our mother's lullabies to ourselves.
When they come knocking
at our neighbours’ doors,
we try to melt our breathing
with the ticking of the kitchen clock
and pray that they forget we’re there.
And as they hang their slaves
by their feet like chicken,
as they throw people out of airplanes,
as they burn libraries,
as they bark orders, and people
readily shuffle to obey,
we start to sharpen our knives,
we polish our guns and rifles,
waiting for the day when
they will come and ask.
when everything is stumbling words,
inquiring minds, self-righteousness,
we asked, 'What did you do in thirty-nine?'
Our granddad winked, then grinned,
he always had his sly ways. Then he said,
'I fought.' – 'And on which side?'
'The side that asked me.
What would you have done?'
This was so long ago that life
has filed off most of our self-righteousness
and dulled our inquiring minds
because some things are better left unknown.
Oblivious, we watch as our world
begins to slide over an edge
long lost and banned.
As some fire off messages into the masses
like others would drive trucks into a crowd,
we look at flies and hum
our mother's lullabies to ourselves.
When they come knocking
at our neighbours’ doors,
we try to melt our breathing
with the ticking of the kitchen clock
and pray that they forget we’re there.
And as they hang their slaves
by their feet like chicken,
as they throw people out of airplanes,
as they burn libraries,
as they bark orders, and people
readily shuffle to obey,
we start to sharpen our knives,
we polish our guns and rifles,
waiting for the day when
they will come and ask.