War Poems on Iraqi [America at War]

1) After the Dawn of War IIdoesn’t it?” He was for
[Iraqi 2006]I looked over the shoulder of the worldthe war when it was a war, so he told me, but now
Through its crawling fogit is not, it is more a police action, he explains to me,
And heard the cold criesand feels perhaps we have overstayed our welcome.
Seen the stir in the eyes“And what are the motivating factors
Heard the trumpets of warnow?” he asks. He adds, “When we
Breaking the silence of dawnget into questioning the motives, after a war, when
(Heard somebody say):they are not clear, it is perhaps time to
“Soldiers will die todayleave…” Dennis being a Vietnam
For Iraqi Liberty—Veteran knows a little bit about how it all works; and
That thou endure.”#1371 6/16/20063) Warhere in this poem, he paints his picture of war, the
Flag IIIIraqi war, and how he sees the colors of war
(Post Iraqi)Lone are the days and shortthrough color crayons of a little boy. Rosa
Before the next cruel war—PenalozaCommentary on War: I’m fifty-eight
What spirit then shall fill a sweet despair?years old, and I can’t remember a time when
To wave the flag of war…and say:the United States was not at war, preparing for
“I’m here and Ready!#1372 6/16another war, or just getting over a war (not to
20063) The Color of War Iinclude WWI and WWII); thus, we’ve had a
[Iraqi: war poem]I saw the other day—busy half-century. I was but three years old when
A little boy coloring awaythe Korean War broke out, in l950, and in 1953, when
(With crayons) in a sketch book;it was tranquilized. Then again in 1964, my friends
With every colored pencilwent to Vietnam, and I in 1971, that war ended in
Under the rainbow—1975, an eleven year war. I thought we’d
And then some…And when I took a secondhave peace but we got a few more wars
lookin-between (we always do); such as, in the 80s Haiti
I thought of the Iraqi warinvolvement, Granada, and some secret Central
(American and Allied soldiers)American things; nothing real big. And then we got
And all the colors it stood for:Red was for the bloodBosnia in the 90s, and a few other little East Europe
they’ve shed;wars to attend to (mixed with these wars we had
Gray, for depression of their familiesGranada and a few African uprisings); always helping
Far away…out Europe with their little squats, which they feel are
Blue was for sad skies;important, and when it comes to American made
Black and white, for death and life;squats, of course they are less important to
Green, for the spoils we’ve not seen;them.Also in the 90s we got Iraqi I, and in the now
Brown, for the dray and dusty nights21st Century, we’ve had to contend with
All the solders had to fight—onAfghanistan and Iraqi II. We are a country full of
Foreign ground.I pleaded, for the boy to stop,warlords to be sure. What will be next, between
Surprised, he looked up at me—2007 and 2016, as I had predicted in 1984, we will be
With his deep blue eyes, hauntingin line with the onset of WWIII. We have been
Me, he said, with a tear on his cheek:fighting it since l950, with Korea, now it is set in
“I wanted to color the soldier’smotion: the war on terror is part of it of course.
feet!”When I say set in motion, I mean, things are going
I looked and there it read: ‘Peace’to fly. We already got Iran and Korea on the hot list;
Already colored-in, with gray:Syria is bordering it; and we are going to have to
Said the boy still looking at me:contend with the Arabs sneaking through South
“That’s the way itAmerica to North America and lighting up a path once
came.”#1371 6/16/06Here is an unusual warthey got on solid ground. Russia and China are
poem Dennis has written today, on the Iraqi war. Hebecoming economies with highbrow ideas; we may
said after following it for four years,have ruled the 90s, but I fear, things will change, as
“…it is getting old; yet it sells papersoften they do.