Quite often while watching
the evening news.
I am shown lines of young men
marching smartly
Along some road to
meet another line of young men
Who are the same as they although they
have been told otherwise.
Sometimes the camera tags along
and provides
A front row seat for the play
that unfolds.
Play did I say?
No, not a play this, but a gruesome puppet show.
Because when the miles that separate
These columns of fleshly marionettes
become but yards
The old men riding point across the gap
will scream
"Kill!"
Though they don't really say
"Kill!"
They say, "Charge!" or "Fire!"
or maybe, "Tally-ho!"
But everyone knows what they mean
and what they mean is
"Kill!"
And so they charge and fire and
KILL.
And then the clerks will total up
Those still capable of charging and firing
So the old men will know who won.
And some of the young men will look at
what is left of some of their buddies.
And for the first time realize
this is for real
And that realization will drop them
to their knees
and empty their stomachs
And then tomorrow the man
on the evening news
Will tell me all the details
with statistics
and pictures
And I will look
and listen
and wish
I had the power of telepathy
And had it so strong that I could communicate
With all the young men with guns
at the same time.
And I would say:
"Listen,
Your fathers fought,
Your grandfathers fought,
One time comrades,
Next time foes.
Listen . . .
It's insanity
You can see that.
I'm sure you can.
So listen . . .
Everybody,
Right now, together,
Lay down your guns.
Go home.
Right now, together.
Don't worry.
Nothing will happen.
What can happen
if you act together?
Can ten old men execute
a thousand young ones?
Can a thousand lock up a million?
And if they could
where would they put you?
So listen!
Everybody!
Right now!
together.
Lay down your guns.
Go home.
Go home and make babies.
And be sure you tell your babies
That they are never,
Never, never, never, never, EVER
To accept guns from strangers.