A Hero's Empty Room (for 9/11)

Death came quickly to him
Though he could not have known
Seduced by cheers for heroes
He left his loving home

War hawks and puppet masters
Play their politics game
Not knowing their child warriors
Nor experiencing their pain

For god and country, they must die
Or get crippled from the fight
It matters not to leaders
Just keep it out of sight

The horror of war much lessened
Smart bomb, computer aimed
Death of child uncounted
Nor counts of innocents lamed

Tunnel vision, like an acid trip
Must be our leaders brain
Can't he see what's been lost
And see what's not been gained

Here's a trick, let's call it surge
Escalation a bad term
Stay the course a strategy not
A catch phrase for us to learn

Meanwhile the blood, blends with dirt
On a hot Fallujah street
Another son not coming home
For his folks and lover to greet

God Damn this man so arrogant
To send children to their doom
As a mom sits quietly weeping
In her hero's empty room.

Written: September 11, 2007