The Escalator

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: ISRAEL AT WAR

The Escalator

 

It’s personal now

An explosion next to the coastal home

Of Benjamin Netanyahu

A drone directed by Hezbollah

With the fingerprints of Iran

It marks a new phase of the war: 

 

Calculated and deliberate assassination

The escalator of war is rising

Israel has killed the leader of Hezbollah

Israel has killed the leader of Hamas

Israel has leveled Gaza

Israel has struck inside Lebanon and Iran

The borders no longer apply

The limits no longer operate

We have reached new heights of warfare

And the escalator still rises

 

A year ago peace seemed possible

The Saudis were prepared to recognize

The sovereign Israeli state

Now they move closer to Iran

Now the Israelis are outcast

Iran is the defender of Gaza

Iran is the defender of Lebanon

And still the escalator rises

 

There is no end to war

The escalator rises

And we cannot find the door

 

Iran Speaks

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS

Iran Speaks

 

Despite all the horrors we have heard

In their defense of Palestine

The Iranian people give their word

The cause of peace is on their minds

 

They have chosen a moderate leader

Who wants relations with the west

They say he’s a true believer

The path of peace is always best

 

He wants to ease the harsh restrictions

On the moral code for all

He has expressed a strong conviction

That some restraints should fall

 

We can’t expect a lot of change

The ayatollah is still in charge

But the furniture is rearranged

Basic change is always hard

 

At least it is a forward step

Away from war and oppression

For once the hard line overslept

Letting go their hard obsessions

 

Kurdistan (Forgotten Nation)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS

Kurdistan

 

They had to fight for their freedom

Every woman and every man

They had a dream of independence

In a land called Kurdistan

 

Denied statehood for many centuries

They continue to press their cause

By helping to defeat the Islamic State

They are bending international laws

 

They have earned their independence

That no one should deny

Their fierceness and their courage

Have enabled them to survive

 

It is time for the civilized world

To recognize the Kurdish state

Over centuries of resistance

It is their right and righteous fate

 

The Curse

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: HOLY WARS

The Curse

 

Religion can be a blessing

Just as often it’s a curse

Nothing good can happen

When we place religion first

 

The Muslims hate the Christians

The Christians hate the Jews

When people fight for faith

Both sides will always lose

 

The Shias hate the Sunnis

The Hindus hate them all

They all claim to be peaceful

Then we’re up against the wall

 

Too many wars have been fought

Not to know the damage done

When both sides fight for God

Holy wars are never won

 

The Silent Protest

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WORLD DEMOCRACY

 

The Silent Protest

 

In Tehran they pleaded to the people

To cast their votes in the election

But the people shook their heads

Not to vote was their selection

 

When you treat the people poorly

When you trample on their rights

When you silence opposition

They will find a way to fight

 

You took away their right to march

For freedom on the streets

You tortured and abused them

Denied them the right to meet

 

They will make their feelings known

In the only ways they can

Their silence at the voting booth

Is how they choose to make a stand

 

You lost the pretense of support

You’ve lost the younger generation

Step aside and let them lead

A new and better nation