Weekly Photo Challenge: Wonder

As is
so often the case,

I took
the photograph
first, then
looked.

Saw the water
messaged fresh across his
name,

and I wondered then

if you were there
in the shade of the oaks
watching me

in distaste.

now, only silence

those students always chatting

watch without whisper,

‘Night and Fog‘ their silencer

Death Cap

iniquity, depravity
crimes against humanity

conflagration, radiation,
man made this abomination

enormity, deformity,
war’s enduring legacy

experimentation, humiliation
who needs victim’s approbation?

cessation, condemnation?
war has no such aspiration

obliteration, extermination,
then,
our final destination

Guest Blogger – Richard W. Bray

This week, I’m delighted to feature guest blogger Richard W. Bray, author of ‘Laughter hope sock in the eye’s blog‘.

Spoils of Victory

The girl who showed (the dreary child)
With countenance both sad and mild
Was from a bloody land exiled

I’m told the nation of her birth
Is now a gory mound of earth
Warlords, weapons, wealth and worth

Unrestrained appetites will devour
And human beings will kill for power
Terror, torture, bloody towers

The weak and hateless are first to suffer
When demagogues urge us tougher
The meek will bleed; the rough get rougher

Life is fleeting, profits certain
And who is that behind the curtain?
Blackwater and Halliburton

It behooves the species to isolate
Those abject monsters who live for hate
Instead, we make them heads of state

To whom could we ever hope to atone
This fateful error bred in the bone?
Live, kill and die alone

Wash your hands, take a rest
Count the ways that you’ve been blessed
And struggle against all who would attest

That they drop bombs to make men free
While screen-addled drones like you and me
Consume the spoils of victory

© Richard W. Bray

Richard W. Bray is a writer and educator who lives in Southern California.

He has commented on several blogs under the names get real, fredo bush, aka fredo, like totally down, calpubserv, humeaudenparker, and perhaps a few monikers he has forgotten about.

You can reach him at laughterhopesockeye@yahoo.com