Is this for real?

A rain of missiles from above
morning kamikaze drones
hurled at playgrounds,
bicycle paths in the morning rush,
on residential houses
on anything resembling normal
to cause fear,
to terrorize the sleep-deprived
hunkering again in subway stations.
This should destroy the callowness
believing in diplomacy for
“peace for our time”.
(it has been tried before).

They say
it’s darkest before dawn
but we have barely entered dusk,
and light a candle,
way too weary to even be upset
of toddlers being crushed by stone and mortar
for revenge and colonial beliefs in superiority
while we are most concerned
about the price we have to pay
for energy, we’re used to wasting.

There is a button
calling “Armageddon”,
and we sit and wait
waste our time, confused,
and let the talk show hosts
make fun of the apocalypse
as if nothing is for real.

Until recently I have always believed in diplomacy, but of course, there are cases when no compromise should be possible. Alas we are at such a point now, peace for our time is not possible, and it will take a very long time until this has come to any positive end.

Today we are live at Open Link Night at dVerse and Lillian is hosting. I will try to read this piece (not peace).

October 13, 2022

14 responses to “Is this for real?”

Björn…this is you at your best. In every way, and proves again what needs to be really said should be said on poetry.
Every word as well as every thought was spot on. So readable, so true. Hard hitting in rhythm and zone.

As for the notes, I too believed in diplomacy, and of course we remain anti war, but we know we need weapons and to make stand. Like you and others, every day shocks me, in so many ways.

How the world has changed. How we all have. I must find a post written by a Swedish compatriot of yours and colldague of mine who is in Ukraine. She writes with such eloquence but sums it up so well. I will find it a bit later.

Björn Rudberg (brudberg) October 16, 2022 at 17:04 · · Reply →

Just read your poem… what a chilling reminder that we can only count and count what falls… day follow days, follow months… will it be years?

So very good to hear you read this tonight at OLN. And to hear your comments on the Russian situation in Ukraine and as it relates to Sweden. The inhumanity of it, of Putin, is despicable. Light a candle in your window tonight….and say a big hello to Lotta for George and I!

This is incredibly powerful, Bjorn! I am especially moved by this part; “They say it’s darkest before dawn
but we have barely entered dusk, and light a candle.” It was so good to hear you read this aloud tonight! 💜💜

A very thought-provoking poem, Bjorn.

You said it so well, it’s heartbreaking and not sure how this will all end. 😞

Powerful poem.

Thought-provoking and uncompromising Bjorn. One of your best…JIM

Well done. “way too weary to even be upset
of toddlers being crushed by stone and mortar”
When enough is enough. Yet, history repeats itself.

Now, there is talk of nuclear war …what then will become of us and this planet…sigh…this brought on by one man’s madness….

and let the talk show hosts
make fun of the apocalypse
as if nothing is for real.

There is an air of apparent non-seriousness with the Ukraine war where opposing sides are more interested on a show of force and talk show hosts laughing away!

Hank