An Angry and Judgmental Poem (The author acknowledges her bitterness, but cannot keep silent)

Once I had a vision

About a mother and a child

Both cast away.

Breaking hearts unheard

Under layer after layer

Of blue.

They were in a field.

Surrounded by plastic figurines.

These army toys

Propelled their weapon of choice-

Rocks,
Which fell like iron rain

Exceeding the force of gravity.

But they didn’t know why.

Their own women and children watching.

Their undiscerning hearts unable to hear

Compassion.

Calloused by the teachings of the wise

Who exchange reason for madness*,

And no longer explore the depths of love--

The only protection they could be afforded.

Unbearable, unsightly, intolerable

The shame

Of utter innocence

Turned into forced delinquency

Producing life non-the-less,

That when revealed would promise death.

*Gandolf

I Always Meet These Women on The Colbert Report.

I find Lara Logan to be incredibly clear and strong.  She left Stephen Colbert snarky-less.  For that, she gets my respect. 

 I will be the first to admit that I don't understand war.  I don't like it.  Recent decisions made by our President both confuse and sadden me.  However, I don't know enough about Afghanistan to explain why.   This woman makes the subject approachable. Her interview helped me realize that A) I need to be learning more about the situation and B) No matter how much I know, there will always be elements to wars like these that I will not and cannot understand.  

Some are starting to think that Obama is a false prophet.  I don't.  I think that he is a leader that has and will continue to inspire people to drive this country in a new direction.  He is one person just as you and I are individuals.  Not one of us can change the country by ourselves.  We need to band together with each other, with him, with our enemies and we need change the way we spend, the way eat, the way we fight, the way we give.  Until WE make that change not one stimulus package or troop withdrawal will matter. 

The burden to end the war is in the hands of our nations leaders and those on the ground in Afghanistan.  The burden to cause change, the burden to undo terror and bring hope—that is ours.