Prelude to the Eve of Destruction
Dowsing it in gasoline,
with the casual toss of intentional match
he spontaneously chose to sacrifice Mercy,
without a plan.
Not thoughtless, not thoughtful,
desiring rescue without redemption,
he cluelessly burned his only bridge,
that saving device constructed of suffering,
fashioned to effect his last escape;
he set it ablaze and contemplated
the mystery of its warmth.
Copyright (c) 2007 Gary Brown
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The philosophy, experience and ramifications of war. No politics. No rambling editorials. From its subtle undercurrents to its most profound exploitation, this is only about the anonymous face of this humanly inevitable and inextinguishable multi-headed beast of evil and how it absorbs and defines its perpetrators, victims and heroes.
Passage
Too easily,
slipped he
into that coat once father wore,
Then stood,
transfixed
before reflection which that mirror bore.
And in this moment,
grew son,
somehow different than before,
As he in silence,
saw himself...
in father’s coat of war.
Copyright (c) 2004 Gary Brown
Too easily,
slipped he
into that coat once father wore,
Then stood,
transfixed
before reflection which that mirror bore.
And in this moment,
grew son,
somehow different than before,
As he in silence,
saw himself...
in father’s coat of war.
Copyright (c) 2004 Gary Brown
BEFORE YOU READ THIS ONLINE VOLUME OF WORK...
Thank you for visiting. This is part of a radical experiment by some poets who are choosing to simply give away a portion of their work, complete volumes, in the form of free online books. If one's work is good, the word will spread and with time, it will hopefully find its audience. Unorthodox? Risky? Yes. Advantages: The ability to make continuous revisions and additions to the book and receive reader's comments. Accordingly, every single poem in this online book has been revised for this 2009 edition and new work has been added.
About This Book 0f Poetry:
I hope something found here might thoughtfully provoke or stimulate your own fresh contemplations regarding the complexities and simplicities of war. At its core, in the beginning, all conflict is caused by an initial individual who is ill-equipped to understand, manage and resolve differences. Truth gets lost. Allowing themselves to feel threatened, fear is born which spawns the chain reaction of insecurity, defensiveness, anger, hatred and invented lines designed to distinguish one more new brand of right from wrong, good from evil. Even those engaged in the holiest of causes may be prone to an impatience, intolerance which is ultimately, with God; and in their misguided reactivity, profane the sacred. As a poet, I am investigating this entire life cycle of war and those touched by it. And, I propose this perpetual evil can unintentionally reveal beauty, grace, mercy and even, love.
A companion site entitled, "The Heart Of War - Quotations" can be found at: (http://theheartofwarquotes.blogspot.com/). It contains several hundred years of provocative quotes regarding the cause and ramifications of war.
A word about my writing technique:
Since poetry was originally meant to be heard, not read, I usually write for the ear, not the eye, even on the printed page. After years of comments that my public readings made my work seem much different than it did in print, I resolved to try to modify the way it appears on the printed page to better reflect the slower, thoughtfully spoken manner in which it is meant to be read aloud.
I experimented with something I called Vertical Poetry; a very short lined, phrase-by-phrase, linear presentation. Too tedious for the reader? Yes. I now have brokered a middle ground which I hope readers find effective. Your comments are always welcomed.
So... take your time. Poetry cannot be effectively consumed in mass quantities. Be patient. Read slow to comprehend more quickly. If a poem is good, the more you contemplate and play with it, the more meaning and interpretations it should methodically reveal.
And remember: Poetry is meant to be read aloud. Listen to it. Listen to yourself.
ARTWORK: The haunting and provocative background image is from World War I and simply titled, "A Christmas street fiddler, Belgrade, Serbia, Dec. 1918".
About This Book 0f Poetry:
I hope something found here might thoughtfully provoke or stimulate your own fresh contemplations regarding the complexities and simplicities of war. At its core, in the beginning, all conflict is caused by an initial individual who is ill-equipped to understand, manage and resolve differences. Truth gets lost. Allowing themselves to feel threatened, fear is born which spawns the chain reaction of insecurity, defensiveness, anger, hatred and invented lines designed to distinguish one more new brand of right from wrong, good from evil. Even those engaged in the holiest of causes may be prone to an impatience, intolerance which is ultimately, with God; and in their misguided reactivity, profane the sacred. As a poet, I am investigating this entire life cycle of war and those touched by it. And, I propose this perpetual evil can unintentionally reveal beauty, grace, mercy and even, love.
A companion site entitled, "The Heart Of War - Quotations" can be found at: (http://theheartofwarquotes.blogspot.com/). It contains several hundred years of provocative quotes regarding the cause and ramifications of war.
A word about my writing technique:
Since poetry was originally meant to be heard, not read, I usually write for the ear, not the eye, even on the printed page. After years of comments that my public readings made my work seem much different than it did in print, I resolved to try to modify the way it appears on the printed page to better reflect the slower, thoughtfully spoken manner in which it is meant to be read aloud.
I experimented with something I called Vertical Poetry; a very short lined, phrase-by-phrase, linear presentation. Too tedious for the reader? Yes. I now have brokered a middle ground which I hope readers find effective. Your comments are always welcomed.
So... take your time. Poetry cannot be effectively consumed in mass quantities. Be patient. Read slow to comprehend more quickly. If a poem is good, the more you contemplate and play with it, the more meaning and interpretations it should methodically reveal.
And remember: Poetry is meant to be read aloud. Listen to it. Listen to yourself.
ARTWORK: The haunting and provocative background image is from World War I and simply titled, "A Christmas street fiddler, Belgrade, Serbia, Dec. 1918".
QUOTES...
“I understand commitment to be that the poet/artist is demanded to his depth to be burned with others when he sees them burning and not to stand on the other side of the bank absorbed in prayer.”
al-Bayyati
"If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
al-Bayyati
"If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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