Victorclaude

Feb 10, 2010 ⭐ View statistics (Premium feature)

America

america

your streets are full of

homeless veterans

your hospital beds

are full of wounded veterans

your old age homes are full

of aging veterans

your induction centers are full of

veterans to be

no more veterans, please

there are far too many now

america, you are a foolish country --

shortsighted, and lame with greed

you will soon be dust

nothing but dust

you have lost your resolve

to be free

you have fouled your air, land

and water

you are on a fast road into

the abyss

no more veterans, please

there are far too many now

america, how can you be so

foolish?

vcp

10 February 2010

— Victorclaude, Feb 10, 2010

About This Poem

About the Author

Country/Region: USA

Favorite Poets: Wallace Stevens, D. H. Lawrence, Charles Bukowski, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Percy Bysshe Shelley, T. S. Eliot, E. E. Cummings, Emily Dickinson, William Butler Yeats, Pablo Neruda, Joni Mitchell, William Shakespeare, Basho, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Kelly Marie Hayner, Susan Wydville. D. Phillip Caron, Elizabeth Bishop.

Critiques

Kailashana

16 years 3 months ago

Ask the mothers and the

Ask the mothers and the fathers who are all too happy to have their children *serve*, who are so careful with their babies, and give no thought to what they might really be dying for returning less than sound of mind, body and soul; or the American war machine that creates a false sense of a better world for the underprivileged class who have no choice but to list with promises of.....or that Al Queda was responsible for over 3000 deaths, and we must protect our shores. Anyone want to venture a guess how much killing is done in America, perhaps even next door neighbor? Yet the services that might serve to ameliorate, heal and educate...and no longer recreate this atmosphere are always the first cuts while military spending increases exponentially? Ask the multinational companies whose pockets are being lines with the profits of war. Don't get me started, Victor.

Victorclaude

16 years 3 months ago

Anna,

I often wonder at mothers who produce the cannon fodder in the first place what they are thinking when they allow their children to go to wars. They are, after all, the first teachers. As far as the 3,000 deaths you are speaking of, it is my belief that Bush and his cronies cooked that one up as an excuse and pretext to invade the Middle East. I don't think they had any outside help whatsoever. I just wish I could prove it. Americans bought that lie, and swallowed it whole. I agree that the money, time, and energy that goes into making war could be much better spent on constructive pastimes. The people of America are nothing but sheep being led to the slaughter, and they are allowing it to happen with each day that passes. As usual it is a small group of bitter, rich old men who pull the strings in this and many other countries. They even go so far as to play the religious trump card to get "the people" on their side. We are in pitiful shape, and mores' the pity. As for weapons of mass destruction, we have them all, but we certainly don't want anyone else to have them. I have/had friends from the Vietnam War who are still so wounded in their bodies and minds that they can barely function as productive human beings. Some of them are gone now to suicide, alcoholism, drug overdoses, poisoning by agent orange and other wonderful things they were exposed to during that fray. Oh, and Anna, you get yourself started just fine, and don't need my help. You do a quite fabulous job of it too, I may add. Thanks for the read and comment. Ciao, Victor

Kailashana

16 years 3 months ago

Coincidence or

Coincidence or what? Today's news in Cleveland. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/02/the_ax-wielding_man_shot_by_po.html I watched mothers and fathers of young *veteran* suicides testify in Congress a couple years ago, asking the government for help in securing long-term medical benefits including psychological help for PTSD. Pitiful. Their sons served and yet they had to beg the government to take care of the walking wounded. ~A

Victorclaude

16 years 3 months ago

Anna,

I guess the guy had had enough of the VA, and unfortunately took it out on an innocent woman. It just keeps getting worse and worse. Because of my advancing age I am at the VA hospital more and more with this and that going awry with the old body. I see thousand yard stares everywhere from the men waiting in chairs to be seen as I pass various clinics. It is a huge facility, and the more I see the more I wish that those who send the young to fight on foreign soils would stop. Ah, sheeeeeit~! V

the_fool

16 years 3 months ago

you a veteran yourself?

you're letting us know the bad state we're in, but very vaguely. i would try to incorporate some personal experience. what was the one thing you saw that made you say 'this is simply too much to ask,'? the comment you left to anna, the entire second paragraph, i believe, would be an excellant addition, word for word- because my advancing age i am at the va hospital more and more with this and that going awry with this old body. i see thousand yard stares everywhere from the men waiting in chairs to be seen as i pass these various clinics. it is a huge facility the more i see the more i wish that those who send the young to fight on these foreign soils would stop. ah sheeeeeeit- love it. kep them coming.

Victorclaude

16 years 3 months ago

fool

Yes, I am a veteran, and I will take your suggestion under advisement, but that is a great deal to add to this succinct piece of work. Perhaps it will show up in another poem. . . Thank you for your comment and read. Victor