Mongers of War

 This photo is called:  Surprised Iranian Children

Mongers of War

©2015 by Alice Walker

Are you awake yet?
How awake are you?
Do you know what War is?
How well do you know?

Do you know how devoted
Warmongers
Are to War?

How they love it?

More than mothers and babies.
More than grandkids.
More than fresh water and clean soil and air.
More than mammals, birds or fish.
More than football.
More than the soccer team.
More than figs.

They appreciate
The way War shapes
& Reshapes
The world
To fit their design
For people control
And planetary
Mismanagement.

These mongers are meeting
In one
Of their favorite dens
Very soon.

Your Capitol.

Try to be there.  In awareness
If not
Body.

They will attempt to
Shock and Awe
Into being
Congressional
Support
For destroying
Folks just like you
In Iran;
Folks you’d rather get to know.

Take a good look.

This barbarous America
Red in tooth and claw
Has
All along
Been chewing
Through the  Bwana suits
Of Endless Conquest.

Now
Bullied into
Submission
By allies
Of destruction
Shouting obscenities
In it’s ear
It desires to smother us
In grief
Over yet another
Greedy
Tragic
Ridiculous
&
Altogether
Backfiring
War.

Where is this going?
Not toward our dreams.
Are we awake yet?
Will we ever be?
How many more
surprised children
must die
in our sleep?

Recommended:

 Thank you, John Lewis and G K Butterfield.  And Code Pink, always.  See below.

February 6, 2015

Dear All,

We’re excited to let you know that prominent civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis and the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus Congressman G K Butterfield have both announced they will skip Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech in front of the joint session of Congress!

Email your Congressperson today and tell them to skip Netanyahu’s speech!

It’s appalling that House Speaker John Boehner is deliberately subverting President Obama’s nuclear negotiations with Iran by inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress. This is a historic and appalling breach of diplomatic protocol that has infuriated the Obama Administration and many members of Congress.

<http://codepink.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=bLBBDLRHCBz%2BC8xSF1oCfkd20Q%2Bl0bia>

We’ve teamed up with our friends at Jewish Voice for Peace, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), and RootsAction to apply grassroots pressure on our elected officials to skip Netanyahu’s speech. The speech, scheduled for March 3, will come just two weeks before elections in Israel, essentially making the American Congress a backdrop for Netanyahu’s campaign. You can expect him to drum up support for more sanctions against Iran and the continued brutal occupation of Palestine.

Will you send a message to your Senators and Representatives now, and tell them to #SkiptheSpeech?

Netanayahu has timed his speech to coincide with the annual policy conference of the Israel lobby AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) in Washington DC so he can make an appearance there as well. During the AIPAC conference, CODEPINK and friends will be in the streets and in the halls of Congress protesting for four days from February 28-March 3. RSVP for four inspiring days of creative actions, panel discussions and lobbying.   We hope you will join us!

Let’s show the Congress that we want successful nuclear talks with Iran, not more sanctions and confrontation—and so should they!

With hope for peace,

Alli, Anna, Jodie, Katie, Kristen, Medea, Nalini, Tighe