memorial day
the parade lengthens
by a new war
Prune Juice, July 2017
Gail Oare
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
國家紀念日
因為新的戰爭爆發
遊行隊伍加長
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
国家纪念日
因为新的战争爆发
游行队伍加长
Bio Sketch
Gail Oare, a retired science publishing executive, writes poetry, short fiction and nonfiction. She lives near Pittsburgh.
L1 sets the theme and mood while the unexpected yet sociopolitically significant and emotionally powerful last line could be read an implicit authorial critique of the functional role/meaning of L1.
ReplyDeleteThis sociopolitically charged haiku reminds me of the most in/famous WWI slogan, "The war to end all wars," a political slogan originally idealistic but now used mainly sardonically.
Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.
-- George Santayana
Two more poems that take a critical look at waging war:
ReplyDeletetaking me out of the war the war
Biding Time: Selected Poems 2001-2013, 2013
H. Gene Murtha
a dark side
to the memorial
fading light
renders all
soldiers unknown
Skylark, 4:1, summer 2016
Tim Gardiner