Illusions/Elections

Illusions / Elections

Fierce fighting last year during the advance,
Your main task is now civil governance.
How many died during hostilities
Keeping peace at oil refineries?
How many died since "Mission Accomplished"?
Democracy can't be shipped, and packaged.
During police work and guard duties,
Is there open combat by Iraqi's?
Particularly, Iraq is hostile,
With authority, unprovisional.
The Tigris River has a garrison
As if a river can be a mansion.
If green were the color of sympathy,
I'd have mine set up like a company.
It's going to take a coalition
To scope the daylight using night vision.
From bomb blasts and mortars, gimme shelter.
This is really about helter skelter.
A huge weapons cache does not make a mosque
In a severely radical Iraq.
Here's the quote Secretary Rumsfeld gave:
"You go to war with the army you have"
But how does that help one who's life he gave?
That sounds like a command with expletive.
["Not the army you might want or wish to have"?]
The question was much more definitive.
He had asked a question about armour
And he got an answer about power.
Mr. Rumsfeld, "Do you have a Humvee?"
Land Mines don't honor a West Point degree.
Man the gunner's hatch, you're vulnerable.
The roads are ripe with risk, none peaceful.
And drive down to patrol another mosque,
Temperature, 85, in Iraq.
For his big bold style, ten gallon hat,
Cited for doing what was important,
President Bush was named man of the year.
A cloud of smoke billows up through the air.
The desert is famous for its illusions,
The United States, for its elections.

Mary Scardino
4 March 2005