Soapbox

Cowardice

“You go to war with the army you have…”
he said to the courageous young man,
about to risk death,
who dared to ask him “why?”

Why is there money for tax cuts
and star wars weapons
and trips to Mars
but not enough money
to put armored plating
on the machine he will ride into war?

“You go to war with the army you have…”
he said, sweating slightly
in his expensive suit
from behind his podium,
far outside the combat zone.

But he chose to begin the war,
with an army woefully short on
armour for the trucks,
batteries for their equipment,
planning for the peace.

When half the world begged him to wait,
he sought out this conflict
without even enough bullets
or water for the canteens
of soldiers sent to crawl through a desert.

No, Mr. Secretary:
THEY go to war
with the army you gave them.
YOU put on a clean shirt
and fly back home again.