Robert Ronnow Poet Verse

Notes About The Poem

www.ronnowpoetry.com

"If you think America is doing just fine, then skip ahead to the poetry reviews. If, however, you worry about a globe spinning out of control, then 'World Order' is for you."  --John Micklethwait

--Friedman, Thomas L., "What's Their Plan? Obama's Strategy for Fighting ISIS Isn't All About Us", New York Times, September 14, 2014
--Homer, "As when the winds, ascending by degrees", The Iliad, Book IV, trans. Alexander Pope, Penguin Books, 1996.
--Micklethwait, John, "As the World Turns: Henry Kissinger's 'World Order'", NY Times Book Review, September 14, 2014
--Ray, David, "To a Child of Baghdad", Music of Time: Selected & New Poems, The Backwaters Press, 2006.

World Order

Financiers feel superior to farmers
and pundits have it over poets.
All to the good because if you think America's
doing just fine, don't skip to the poetry reviews.
Our enemies are barbarous, our allies duplicitous
but our smart bombs are smart - that's how they found you.

Dad said all wars are resource wars. Follow
the money. The world needs more order, nothing
less than Nazis, never may the anarchic man's thoughts
be my thoughts, each shove sends a ping,
shields urge on shields, helmets helmets, we can be
the reigning kings between the last empire and the next

or implement a vision of collective deliberation
and binding agreements. Can China's navy
be harnessed to ensure free passage through
the South China Sea? We'll see how
things work out in the next generation.
In the meantime should I read Henry Kissinger's meditations?

He who thinks poetry's effete
probably considers Darwin a geek and Einstein
a postal clerk. Containment means leaving space
for the passionate and zealous to face themselves
and giving them missiles that don't work.
Slowing everyone down until one thing's done well -

governance or sustenance or brotherhood.
When violence comes to the neighborhood
the hierarchy will hold or fold, it is then the peace work proves relevant.
Failing to achieve understanding, we're searching outer space
for an entity to unite us as humanity.
That person, or city, is consciousness.

By that what is meant. Sitting still and thinking deeply
on the relation of anger to coercion,
systems for correcting the decisions of earlier presidents.
We're required to report incidents of depression
to a doctor because you're a valued member of of our community
or so insignificant no one notices or cares.

How necessary the interface of war and poetry!

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

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

Gary Bateman July 2, 2015 at 1:05 PM Hello Robert!! A most excellent write here. Poetry is definitely not effete nor lacking in relevance. I'm preparing to write a Tercet on "A World at War" and one other on "Earth's Progressive Shadow." Thinking Person's Poetry most definitely. "World Order" is quite interesting and quite wonderful. Bravo!! A "7" + FAV!! Best Always, Gary

Funom Makama May 27, 2015 at 7:09 AM excellent piece. returning after a while to read such a refreshing package full of familiar emotions to the mind is simply blissful. A wonderful and commanding 7 here. Keep on writing.