BradfordToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following is a submitted poem.
Armistice, Not Armament
Let’s contemplate what’s taking place, and - to what degree,
’Bout two wars now continuing, too, those of history:
Right now in Eastern Europe, and, within the Middle East,
And long ago - when despots reigned, who’d succumbed to their defeats!
And while we ask each other who’d been touched by sent bad news,
Of friends’ and families’ loved ones who, would pay all others’ dues
With their ultimate sacrifice, to save Democracy:
Well, my Mom’s two cousins had passed, in flights - fought overseas.
Should we think that the current two wars, be perceived as normalcy?
As they’re raging on today, others in frequency
During our last century, when, some nations would agree
To sign a pledge: this one would end, be last that there would be.
So the “Armistice” in Eighteenth year, of Twentieth century,
Would be initiated by, the United States country,
Whereby its president Wilson would, with 14 Points then base
The terms to stop the Great War, where, Peace would all wars replace.
Now, while on each Eleventh day, of Eleventh month each year,
At clock’s Eleventh hour we’ll stand, ’fore silence, to first hear
“The Last Post” by the trumpeter, recall that Great War waged
But, “the war to end all wars”, would fill war’s book’s one page!
And so, Earth’s chosen stewards: we - Man chosen to take charge
To guide and lead the species, all, be they tiny, large,
To protect, and nurture each, in their allotted spaces,
To proudly preserve Earth’s life cycle, ’stead share shameful disgrace.
Thus, how can we then change our course, for said true betterment
To save us from ourselves in time, before Earth’s worst event,
When a few demented minds, spark Armageddon’s end
To much-sought peace by most, which seems a non-ending trend?
We need identify those men, witnessed as “ill in mind”,
Arrest their sole activity - behaving most unkind -
Engaging in corruption and, programming evil things,
And not just here, in nations all, as self-anointing kings!
Walter Prokopchuk
Bradford
