The Naming of War

The Naming of war
To-day we have the naming of war. Yesterday,
We had peace. And to-morrow morning,
We shall see what happens after firing. But to-day,
To-day we have the naming of war. The granates are falling
Falling like shooting stars on the dark sky,
To-day we have naming of war.

This is an M48 Patton. And this
Is the the 90mm gun, which you will see,
When you are given your amour. And this is compassion,
Which in your case, you will not get. The sand
Holds in the dessert silence, eloquent gestures,
Which in our case we have not got.

This is the Browning machine gun, which is ‘almost’ always released
With a push of the finger. And please do not let the General
See you use your head. You can do it quite easily
If you have any strength in your finger. The sand hills
Are big but movable, with the sand moving on the commandment of the wind
Never let the General see you use your head..

And this is the twin-turbo gasoline engine. The purpose of this
Is to keep the war going, as you see. We can fix it easily
We can fill it over and over again: we call this
‘keeping the war going’ and fixing and filling.
And the reptiles are running in all directions:
They call it escaping the storm.

They call it escaping the storm: It is perfectly easy
If you have any strength of your head: not like the engine,
And the Browning machine gun, and the M48 Patton and the compassion,
Which in our case we have not got; and the dry dessert hills
Silent is the dessert and the engines being filled and fixed,
For to-day we have the naming of parts.