war, genocide, poem, poetry, satire

REFAAT

so now
they have resorted
to killing poets

because
the pen is mightier
than the sword
it is said

and they took that literally
and
as is well known
James Bond carries
his old Q branch
speciality
of rocket-
launching pen

nothing
more deadly

which
you know,
       we know

every spy agency knows this
it is something that
military intelligence
                even one
caught false flag asleep
at its post
has prepared for
extensively
trained for
exhaustively

knows
only too well

and how can
target
be a poet

if they are all animals?
that is the syllogism for you
to
take to heart
the
reactive-armour
heart they
gave you

as you plough through
guilty humanity
steel-skinned in
your Merkava
kampfwagen

hunting for the tunnel
will take you down to Hell

where
poets, great poets,
will all be waiting

to raise a few things,
take issue with you

by hook
or by crook

endeavour to persuade you
that there is
something in
this voice, about
this speech
that justifies itself