We come from a long line
of runners.
I’m talking about the white
people who left Europe to
establish a new nation on
First People blood.
Now the Ukrainians ask for
help and the American answer
seems to be:
Bleed first!
“We don’t want to enter into
a war with Russia, so…”
So we’ll watch on TV while
Russians kill Ukrainian babies,
raze towns and nuclear sites,
satisfied that we have levied
“strong sanctions.”
Sanctions.
“Suspect, stop raping that girl
or we will be forced to levy
sanctions against you and your
closest friends!”
Sanctions.
Because we don’t want to make
Putin mad.
Heaven forbid, we upset the
murderer into more murders.
He wields a nuclear threat
and takes the world hostage,
while the West cowers like
it’s 1984;
like the threats have not come
from a third rate economic power,
but the mighty USSR.
Locked in the 80-year Cold War
flinch, that yells out “No Nukes!”
like a TS tick.
Sure we hit the D-Day beaches,
acts of courage from every era
apparent.
But how many Jews had to die
on our watch before we
showed up late to that fight?
The ultimate courage is to
stand up without a loud,
dishonorable exploding gun!
To face an enemy with your heart
exposed, counting coup, Jesus’ turn the
other cheek, love them to change like
Gandhi and Martin taught us
could work!
But if the military is your brand of
defense, as the USA claims:
Use it to defend the innocent
against bullies around the world.
Use it in the face of empty threats
of nuclear bombs – folks like Putin
who will bully with that threat,
who will hold cowards hostage.
Bill Watkins, Traveling Poet 