Jihad's iron curtain
Iran's leader was our friend
but Zealots forced his rule to end.
Now Iran joined our fervent foes
The Jihad tree sends out roots and grows.
Then there was Afghanistan.
We got dragged into war in that deadly land.
They had hosted Al Qaeda, practicing how to slay.
Killed 3000 U.S. civilians in one fall day.
We went to war in Iraq too
We thought we'd be welcome, Bush had no clue.
Many turned against us, a bitter hard war.
Many voices here say - what were we fighting for?
Islamic state took sex slaves, also crucified.
beheaded if you're lucky, if not, burned alive.
In the power vacuum, they took a chunk of Iraq.
Eventually, temporarily, we beat the Jihad back.
We'd been fighting in Afghanistan for 20 years,
On paper we were strong, but reality jeers.
So Trump said, “Time to call it done,”
And Biden said, “The war is won.”
We withdrew our troops, doomed people fell off our planes.
It was like Vietnam all over again
And today Al Qaeda camps sprout there, for them no fears.
Could we have stayed, could we keep losing soldiers for years?
“We’ll watch from far" said Biden "over horizon sight,”
He said we'd look out for each woman’s right.
But girls can’t go to school anymore, nor walk alone—
Nobody believes our politicians, we turn tail and go home.
In Christian Lebanon, now Hezbollah rules
An Islamic State graduate took Syria, trusted only by fools.
In Mali now, Al Qaeda looks to win
Three times the land of California, the tide is coming in.
Nigerian leaders minimize a slaughter to cloak
In ten years' time you'll see the same land, different folk.
I've just scratched the surface, to be candid
Recall Mozambique, Christian island, till Jihadists landed.
You say, “So what? that's all far away,
They live their lives a different way.”
But that's what we thought, until airliners flew
Through our skyscrapers, the Pentagon too.
Now you might argue "America First" to keep out is best.
But you might not understand reasons for conquest.
I certainly don't want to be in the first combat wave.
I don't want endless wars, or an early grave.
I don't want to fight totalitarians, just live my life, lots to do
But though we're not interested in war, war may be interested in you.
We have enough problems here, in fact they grow worse every day
Can we stand up to enemies, I wouldn't bet that way.
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a
Premium Membership.
