Writers change the world
Actually, scratch that
They simply unfurl
The abundance of claptrap
Because no one listens
The world never changes
Despite knowledge addition
The stupidity ages
Kurt Vonnegut knew it
But he wrote anyway
Even he would admit
That he had no say
A master of satire
Dark humor was his thing
An almost sci-fi writer
With words he was king
Born in Indianapolis
He traveled a bit
As a World War II soldier
He dealt with some sh*t
That inspired his classic
Called Slaughterhouse-Five
Anti-war and enigmatic
The story’s still alive
The novel’s main character
Was named Billy Pilgrim
He fought for the victors
But that didn’t save him
A prisoner of war
He survived the Dresden firebombing
But a front seat to gore
Wasn’t exactly calming
The inspiration for Billy
Was a real kid from Rochester
(In New York, not Missouri)
Who didn’t get to be older
Buried in Mount Hope Cemetery
Died some time after Dresden
The guy, rather ordinary
Is now a literary legend
But with this I digress
The point is the wars
Senseless dying, I guess
Makes for some good lore
We pretend we’re shocked
How could this be?
But don’t be mocked
It’s all over history
Someone takes charge
The sheep will follow
Predictable, by and large
As most skulls are hollow
They say it’s God’s work
To kill each other
And it’s considered a perk
To shoot your own brother
Why call life precious
And act like it’s not?
Go leave a man breathless
Just like you were taught
Kill more, war hero
And you shall be saved
But if you end up a zero
You’ll still get a grave
You’re a pawn in the game
Probably poor
The rich man’s fame
Is what you were for
Just a kid, you said?
Well, that might be true
Too young to be dead?
That’s not the leader’s view
Fight for your country
Or some other thing
For that you are lucky
That’s the song they sing
But they don’t fight
As they’re above that
It’s verbal their might
For you there’s combat
Is this okay?
It apparently is
That’s just the way
That humanity lives
The horror is for show
Head down and move on
Because everyone knows
Feign disgust for the wrong
So it goes, wrote the author
It’s the way that it flows
Not much else to offer
That’s just how it goes
So Vonnegut didn’t change much
We’re in the same place
To our fantasies we clutch
To nowhere we race
This poem’s even worse
No difference will it make
When a mother follows the hearse
To her young baby’s wake
4 Responses
Gut wrenching!! Things have not changed over the centuries. We just feel like we live in an advanced world with AI and our cellphones!! Very well written, expressing the gruesome reality in verses!
Thank you. Yes, the technology has changed, but humans are humans.
well written But I am not that pessimistic. Is there any period in history that is more peaceful than the current period? world wars, feudal kings fighting with each others, crusades, biblical, puranic wars etc.etc.
Thank you. Yes, these are probably the most peaceful times in human history. But I guess the world will always have naive idealists who think we can do even better.