They Can Only Do Harm

By Turlough
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They Can Only Do Harm
I hear jackboots kicking down the doors, victims murdered at point blank
I hear horrific sounds of rockets, fighter jets and shells and tanks
I hear the piggy bank executives rattle piggies’ piggy banks
I hear dollars clink with roubles in the push to weaponise
I hear the futile stabs at praying from the imams, priests, rabbis
I hear noise beneath the rubble, mothers’ wails and babies’ cries
I hear flies buzz round the bodies as they rot and spread disease
I hear starving third-world children, and their parents’ hopeless pleas
I hear families’ footsteps fleeing death, unwanted refugees
I hear them say she’s dirty because her skin’s not white
I hear them say he’s queer and their god says that’s not right
I hear them say they’re missing, dragged out screaming in the night
I hear presidents and princes slap each other on the back
I hear men of wealth and power order sex slaves off-the-rack
I hear megalomaniac death threats, fall in line or we’ll attack
I hear not one word to give me hope, not a solitary drop
I hear nothing good from lying mouths, they quickly shut up shop
I hear only deadly silence when I ask this hell to stop
Image:
Firework night at Omurtag Aeronautics Park. My own photograph.
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Comments
Brilliant Turlough. For my
Brilliant Turlough. For my sins I recognised the SA-2 Guideline - the pornography of war is ever present.
Dougie Moody
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The kids sitting on it is
The kids sitting on it is serendipity, as maybe it could be beaten into a slide; and congrats on the cherries.
Dougie Moody
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I didn't look at the photo.
I didn't look at the photo. Or rather I glanced at it. Much like the rich and prividged see the poor and hopeless. Always expendable, in some great plan.
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"I hear dollars clink with
"I hear dollars clink with roubles in the push to weaponise"
An eloquent invective, Turlough.
The identity of the murderous regime is less clear now than it ever was.
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Cheer up Turlough. When was
Cheer up Turlough. When was it not always thus? It's like tinnitus, you can't stop it and you can't pretend it's not there, so you learn to fade it out with better music.
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Perhaps not, but there's
Perhaps not, but there's certainly music to get under the skin. https://youtu.be/3aPDpfQ7V3Q?si=gjwPZSayA_Z7t6B6
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He certainly was and all
He certainly was and all while in exile from oppression and war.
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Wow! That's quite a
Wow! That's quite a collection. Mozart's output was phenomenal for someone who died aged thirty five, so to have everything in one collection is quite something.
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Plenty of evil, and
Plenty of evil, and foolishness, and misjudgments (including our own, especially if hear false news),
but to hear of good going on you have to look for it, it doesn't boast and advertise,
and to hear a word of hope you have to look in the right place too! Rhiannon
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Your poem is powerful and
Your poem is powerful and clear Turlough. War casts a shadow over so many, and you've skilfully written with passion and emotion your feelings.
Jenny.
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