Twas the war to end all wars
not sure now to which war that referred
- but it didn't.
Wilfrid Owen wrote not so much of war
but the pity of war
his words too have fallen on deaf ears
so today we remember the fallen.
It is right and good that we do
but is that the best we can do?
Remember?
What about the promises extracted and made
What of the lessons learned
what of the indescribable tragedy and loss
Are those costs simply to keep on mounting?
Will peace forever involve violence?
Is any other option merely the stuff of dreams?
The machinery that maintains a warring nation
in a warring world
seems to have all the power
while the Prince of Peace
waits on the sidelines
pierced by every bullet
shocked by every shell
rocked by every love he grieves
weighed down by every investment made
in destructive forces
while children go without food
and families live in graveyards.
How can we remember the fallen
with the resolve they deserve
and the commitment
that we will find another way
a way to honour the dead
and live in the peace
for which they fought
and learn compromise
and sacrifice
that costs much less
than life
yet leaves love
that lasts
forever.
EAC Nov 2010
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