I tell you, this is the last word for this war.
This little [[side war]] we were the [[center]] of.
There is no justice from [[poetry.]]
[[Any veteran can tell you that.]]“Write,” they tell me, [[“so people won’t forget.]]
[[So someone will know."]]
Lift the broken bodies with my words, bring them out
And say [[“we did not die in vain.”->So someone will know."]]
For every [[bullet hole,->Beginnings]] let there be a word
To stand as a [[monument.->Last word]]
They want their land, their lives,
Their livestock back.
Grenade fishing in the aftermath of [[Phou Pha Thi->fat tigers and foreign policy.]]
Has lost its novelty
To the man with [[a bullet fragment->Last word]] rattling
In his body, slowly [[tearing him apart.]][["Write,” they tell me. Write what?]]
We lost, we were forgotten, we are ghosts.
We are victims of [[fat tigers and foreign policy.]]
There is no Valhalla, [[only memories->grenade fishing]] of [[Spectre gunships->victims]]
There is no Elysium, [[only pleas for asylum.]] This jungle was filthy.
There was [[fire->When the war came.]] There was [[blood->screaming]].[[Their sons fought. Their brothers died.->"Write,” they tell me. Write what?]]
Their uncles, maimed, were hauled [[screaming]]
Into the shadows of the Plain of Jars.There was fire. [[There was blood]].
There were refugees
Who to this day cannot explain why they were the enemy
[[When the war came.]] We lost, we were [[forgotten->Last word]], [[we are ghosts.->fat tigers and foreign policy.]]There were [[refugees->So someone will know."]]
Who to this day cannot explain why they were the enemy
[[When the war came->Last word]]. How can you not have words for the war of whispers?
How can you not shout, [[now that the whispering is done? ->Last word]]Their [[sons fought->Any veteran can tell you that.]]. Their [[brothers died->Last word]]. And I swear,
Each time I break this promise, that the next time
Will be the last word I write about [[this damn war->Beginnings]].Grenade fishing in the aftermath of Phou Pha Thi
Has [[lost->Last word]] its novelty
To the [[man->Any veteran can tell you that.]] with a bullet fragment rattling
In his body, slowly [[tearing him apart.]] We are victims of [[fat tigers and foreign policy.]]They want their land, [[their lives]],
Their livestock back.
Grenade fishing in the aftermath of [[Phou Pha Thi->"so people won't forget.]]
Has lost its novelty
To the man with a bullet fragment [[rattling->So someone will know."]]
In his body, slowly tearing him [[apart.->Last word]] [["Write,” they tell me.->Last word]] [[Write what?->Beginnings]]
We lost, we were forgotten, we are [[ghosts.->When the war came.]]
We are victims of [[fat tigers and foreign policy.]] “Write,” they tell me. [[Write what?]]
We lost, we were forgotten, we are [[ghosts.->Beginnings]]
We are victims of [[fat tigers and foreign policy.->Last word]] How can you not have words for [[the war of whispers->their lives]]?
How can you not [[shout,->side war]] [[now that the whispering is done?->Last word]]There is no Valhalla, only memories of [[Spectre gunships]]
There is no [[Elysium,->Any veteran can tell you that.]] only pleas for [[asylum.->Beginnings]]
This jungle was [[filthy.->Last word]] There was fire There was [[blood.->Beginnings]]
There were refugees
Who to this day cannot explain why they were [[the enemy]]
[[When the war came.->Last word]] Their sons fought. [[Their brothers died.->Last word]]
Their uncles, maimed, were [[hauled screaming]]
Into the shadows of [[the Plain of Jars.->Beginnings]] “Write,” they tell me, [[“so people won’t forget.->Last word]]
So [[someone]] will know."
Lift the broken bodies with my words, bring them out
And say [[“we did not die in vain.”->Beginnings]] For every bullet hole, let there be a word
To stand as a [[monument.->Last word]]
For every lost limb let there be a sonnet
To stitch the truth back together.
For every eye gone blind, let there be [[something]]
To take its place.
Something. [[Anything.->Beginnings]] How can you not have [[words->Beginnings]] for the war of whispers?
How can you not [[shout->Last word]], now that [[the whispering is done]]? [[And I swear,->Last word]]
Each time I break this promise, that the next time
Will be the last word I write about [[this damn war.->Beginnings]]
↶↷I tell you, this is the last word for this war.
This little side war we were the center of.
There is no justice from poetry.
Any veteran can tell you that.