Modern Warfare
guns, bullets
powder, shrapnel
they sting and bite
like cowardly insects
drawing succor.
But not
swords or knives
or spears or flails.
Not like when Odysseus sailed the Agean.
Not like when Achilles dragged Hector’s body in the field.
When we warred against the Trojans,
the Argives had to bring sword against bone.
Against skin, hair, and sinew.
If you wanted to kill the enemy
you had to look into his eyes.
No
not like how it is today.
War now has a room and suits,
economics and justifications,
missles, mortar, and mathematics.
Press, Push, Break.
There was no trigger to pull,
no hardest button to button.
Just your arms and what they could carry.
About the Creator
Mark Burr
Mark Burr is a poet from Ocean Springs MS. He was last published in Prairie Schooner. He is currently working on a chapbook. He also writes short stories and takes cool pictures with his camera.
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