HOME* Main Poem Index* January Poem List* Next Poem Pre-War Messages Accumulating systems to attack Can hold uncertain potential choices Like nature when red flows down one's back Just so some small enemy rejoices Nations must live with our strong suspicion Without holding grudges with attitudes To avoid catastrophic reaction At misinterpreted terse platitudes Technology offered to help old friends Cannot be sold as capitalism So new friends can conjure up hateful ends In the name of some or other ism Will competes with existence thru times Can we trust others whose strength taunts thresholds What of those who in past days with death chimes Greeted plans of hope by counting our golds We are asked to trust nations who betrayed Other nations who absorbed their assist For control of yet others who parlayed Struggles throughout centuries to persist By nature we cannot trust anyone Least of all those who quickly turned to lie Not until our hunt for terror is done When we have forced those who distrust to die (c)ERA 28 January 2003