Zeitgeist: Three Poems About War

Introduction

    Zeitgeist posts are first person accounts of various subjects that strike me enough in my day to day life to write about. The title maybe ironic, only time will tell.


Couplet

     when we first took Jerusalem
we killed all within its walls
     when we first took Jerusalem
we killed women, children, all


War

When I was younger, history was defined
by war.
At some point, I became fascinated
by history not defined by war.
These combat free sagas taught me
defined war is not necessary
in dealing with being alive.
But it helps.
It helps to have the excuse of war
to explain who you are.
It helps to have the excuse of war
to explain who you could have been.
Without war, who would we be?
I'm still willing to find out. For now.


Western Religion

I am pumping Jesus, the Twelve Disciples
        and Pontius Pilate into my gas tank.
I am pumping Moses, his brother Aaron
        and Joshua at the battle of Jericho
        and the walls came tumbling down
        into my gas tank.
I am pumping Mohammad and his wife
        and Saladin Saladin
        and likely some crusaders
        and that is all I know into my gas tank.
I am pumping ancient species buried deeply
        slowly dissolving, rotting, changing
        melting to the crude black grease
        which I need to eventually be
        inside my gas tank.
        Need? Truly need?
Eastern Religion, why do you burn them?
                          We need more crude
                          to fill our gas tanks.

Aaron C. Molden