Well, he wrote this during the WW1:
ANTHEM FOR DOOMED YOUTH
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?-
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
Haitham next door has posted those horrific photographs which sum up the terror Iraqi children are being subjected to:
Can you imagine? A little child suffering all this terror?
What do we tell this one ? What has he done wrong ? Why are his eyes shut and his hands tied ? Is it one of the games Iraqi children should become used to playing ? An Iraqi-American version of hide and seek perhaps ?
And this can't be the morning exercise class for those children, is it ? There is something about American education which we don't seem to have grasped yet.
And Haitham is asking: Why are the Americans seeing all this and keeping quiet ?
And SBG would like to ask: Why have the Arabs gone deaf, dumb and blind to the suffering of their neighbours ?
3 comments:
Ouch aalman..
That really hurt.
But sharing such thoughts don't. Unlike the government, I see no harm in venting out and speaking your mind.
My questions were posed not for me to act and seem intellectual. I don't need titles and trophies for me to know my worth. I am full of S%%% without those accolades!
I had a more selfish reason:
Haitham's pix have really moved me.. at least the little bit of Iraqi blood left in me...(my great grandmother is Iraqi).
All the time I was looking at tthe picture of the little girl in particular I couldnt stop thinking that under different circumstances, it could have been me; the boy could have been my brother.
I realise that we Arab are only good at one thing: yupping. Our big traps never shut and we are not capable of doing anything useful.
The age of discoveries is over. Even expats when they come here say they "lose enthusiasm." I don't want to sound so defeatest, but the fact remains that we are muzzled, shackled and beriddled with troubles which make it difficult for us to act in a logical practical manner.
I walked in the anti-war rallies. I carried the posters: beautiful ones I did at home on my own. I forced friends and relatives to join in...and I know now that they were a waste of time and energy.
Just like Palestine is over...let's say Iraq is over.
But it isn't game over yet. Who's next? Let's flip a coin: Iran or Syria ?
Oops...Iran isn't an Arab country. It is ogre we have been terrifying children with all night long.
On second thoughts...
I am only a silly bahraini girl while YOU are ALL MAN (or is it Aal man?)
I will leave the thinking and muscle to you ;) while I continue basking in my silliness.
There's nothing wrong with venting your outrage or asking questions. It all serves a purpose. Who is anyone to question your sincerity?
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