Friday, June 16, 2006

Two Thousand Five Hundred

Sometimes you think you’re going to write about one thing, but then an angel grabs you by the back of the neck, rubs your nose in something else and says, “Write about this piece of shit”

Actually, it wasn’t a piece of shit, although the difference can be hard to tell -- it was Tony Snow, the guy from Fox who molted in to a White House Press Secretary. Neither was it an angel -- it was a James Raven post on Psychotic Patriot that blew my mind out of the water when I read it this morning on the train.

I’ve never liked seeing what I felt was snarky picking on Mr. Snow because of his colostomy. I know people who have been that route and I’ve always felt that it was, so to speak, below the belt.

But, then I read that his response to combat death number 2500 in the illegal war in Iraq was, “It’s just a number…” – at that moment, I decided he deserves all the shit he gets because he really is indistinguishable from a bag of shit.

Not knowing what to do with my outrage, I then composed this:

Just a Number

Two thousand five hundred – graves – lined up in straight rows…
but, “That’s just a number”, says Mr. Snow.

Two thousand five hundred – lives – have been thrown away,
but, “That’s just a number”, we all heard him say.

Two thousand five hundred – bodies – sent home in a box…
but, “That’s just a number” said the bastard from Fox!

Two thousand five hundred – names – we can scrawl on a wall,
but, “That’s just a number”, as if that were all!

Two thousand five hundred – lives – cut down in their prime,
but, “That’s just a number” what a helluva line!

Two thousand five hundred – times – how many more?
but, “That’s just a number” sneers the media whore!

Two thousand five hundred – dead – and many more maimed
bodies & minds broken, driven insane…

Two thousand five hundred – questions – are filling my mind,
brothers and sisters, are we deaf are we blind?

Two thousand five hundred – fistfuls – of blood-stained sand,
can you tell me why monsters are running our land?´

For, WE are the people – WE! – it is OUR land,
and we’re not just numbers, like dollars to spend!

Brothers and sisters – please! – let us join hands,
with all of our numbers we can take back our land!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great writing on the verses.

I'm curious about your ex-pat status.

What's life like "over there?"

James

jamesravenheart at gmail.com

Chuck Cliff said...

Shit! James, "blogger" just ate my comment! Thanks for turning me on to the "snow-job" -- haven't had a song come out like this in years and it feels great!

Ex-pat status, still have a blue passport, so they can't keep me out. Honorable discharge '65, permenent residence permit in Denmark since '72.

It's fine here, but not easy to get permission to stay. joebageant.com is wild about Belize. Joe is a mad liberal redneck up in Virginia somewhere.