Familiar Names

Familiar Names

Familiar names on a marble wall,
cambered, black, and much too tall.
By choice or by chance, we answered the call,
and the war made horrors, horrors of all.

So far away, too young you see,
It's no return that's bothering me.
The spirit to laugh and the joy to be,
help me find them again, set me free!

Corruption, graft, and too much sin,
bar the door, don't let him in.
Easy to lose and tough to win,
for twenty years since, where you been?

A nation of homeless and jailed we are,
It's expected you see, consider it par.
Watergate, arms deals, politicians with gall,
war will make whores, whores of all.

Twenty years later, another new war,
when can we shout "Horrors No More!"
War's dying children should make us all wince,
remember it well, catch a good glimpse.

Twenty years forward, we can look with hope,
citizen, politician, even the next Pope.
To find the right answer to war's timely call,
by not rushing right in, making horrors of all.


----Anonymous