J'accuse! (found poem)

I found this poem in an old journal today. I believe it was written early in the Iraq War.


We live in deep times,
Deeper yet than rivers 
that flood,
Deeper yet as acid rain 
falls down,
Deeper than enough love 
to fill the earth,
Deeper than time 
the need for survival.

Yet in this torn universe,
Voices cry out for 
peace and freedom,
the knowledge that love abides
even in the midst of 
your criminal lies
that corruption brings to
every evil empire.

You shall fall down 
and then what will you say,
That you meant only good
as your bombs dropped on
a house where people lived
and a little boy was killed,
as you poison the ground
turning brother against brother,
leaving the sisters alone
to grieve their losses?

We cannot accept such answers
in these times of
delicate balance
The trees will turn to stone 
before you are become
the truthful person you were
born to become,
tableau rasa baby
that you were 
deep deep in
your mother's womb.

But it wasn't enough,
you were corrupted.
You turned to winning
the public's mind with
your most articulate lies,
disguising your greed
and addiction for
the precious oil
that has made you notorious
throughout the world.

No -- History will
find you unclothed
and wielding the sign of
the beasty bird.
We will read and
not understand -- again!
And so the lesson will
be lost with the next man
sworn in ...

War can never be
a path to peace
and you declare war
so easily while
dumbing down 
the populace
with lies and laws
they cannot understand:
you are an expert
at deceit and confusion.

But know we can
(and will) love every
dove that travels
on this earth:
You can assassinate
the doves one by one
But their songs
of peace and freedom
can never be undone.

And they will be
remembered with love
while you will go to
your grave 
forgotten and alone
with only your
mother's arms
to keep you warm.