The marching numbers are a tomb of shattered years and on the sand and marsh they hunt soldiers down and cut them and mangle them where they stand. One. Two. Three. They wait and wait, and rapidly they pounce, opening fire, closing doors, swinging death to and fro! And the laughter… The laughter of marching numbers calls out for the next and the next and the next and the next and the laughter so politicians can sleep amid the screech of striding tombs, so the subsequent-crazy-sonofabitch can cackle liberty or some such malarkey. Fourteen. Eighty. One hundred!
What of the fallen, the voiceless, the bludgeoned, the duped, if only they could now see the numbers amusement they’d be so goddamned envious, wouldn’t they? Goddamned green with it! Bulletproof vests are for the living! Three hundred. Four hundred. Armored hummers are for the red cheeked fortunate and breathing. One thousand thirty four. The dancing. They wait and wait and wait. Rapidly they pounce! Sniper, IED, RPG, swinging death to and fro… And the laughter! My God! The laughter! Two thousand forty-seven so some crazy-lazy-sonofabitch can curl up next to his pale existence, slither up against his black liquefied imaginings and self-abhorrence.
There must be more time, more hope, more love, not more numbers, right? They march as we turn our twisted faces away and peace is murdered; Shot through the goddamned mouth while bloody calling out for help! Tortured while we wait for God to blow the whistle or throw in the towel. Shrieking peace against two-thousand and six obedient numbers waiting, waiting, waiting for the rapid pounce of tombs to stuff them under. And the goddamned laughter! That motherfucker won’t stop laughing! Jesus Christ! Three thousand slain only amuses this cockeyed Caesar! The numbers continue to march by on their way to the sullied gallows So some slothful-no-good-sonofabitch can snuggle up against tyranny… And the laughter... O! The Goddamned laughter!
The marching numbers are a tomb of shattered years
and on the sand and marsh they hunt soldiers down and cut
them and mangle them where they stand. One. Two. Three.
They wait and wait, and rapidly they pounce, opening fire,
closing doors, swinging death to and fro! And the laughter…
The laughter of marching numbers calls out for the next
and the next and the next and the next and the laughter
so politicians can sleep amid the screech of striding tombs,
so the subsequent-crazy-sonofabitch can cackle liberty
or some such malarkey. Fourteen. Eighty. One hundred!
What of the fallen, the voiceless, the bludgeoned, the duped,
if only they could now see the numbers amusement they’d be so
goddamned envious, wouldn’t they? Goddamned green with it!
Bulletproof vests are for the living! Three hundred. Four hundred.
Armored hummers are for the red cheeked fortunate and breathing.
One thousand thirty four. The dancing. They wait and wait and wait.
Rapidly they pounce! Sniper, IED, RPG, swinging death to and fro…
And the laughter! My God! The laughter! Two thousand forty-seven
so some crazy-lazy-sonofabitch can curl up next to his pale existence,
slither up against his black liquefied imaginings and self-abhorrence.
There must be more time, more hope, more love, not more numbers, right?
They march as we turn our twisted faces away and peace is murdered;
Shot through the goddamned mouth while bloody calling out for help!
Tortured while we wait for God to blow the whistle or throw in the towel.
Shrieking peace against two-thousand and six obedient numbers waiting,
waiting, waiting for the rapid pounce of tombs to stuff them under.
And the goddamned laughter! That motherfucker won’t stop laughing!
Jesus Christ! Three thousand slain only amuses this cockeyed Caesar!
The numbers continue to march by on their way to the sullied gallows
So some slothful-no-good-sonofabitch can snuggle up against tyranny…
And the laughter... O! The Goddamned laughter!
Copyright © 2007 mrp / thepoetryman
3,000th U.S. soldier killed in Iraq
16,273 Deaths Reported in Iraq in 2006
U.S. Toll In Iraq Reaches 3,000
Updated Military Fatalities: By Time Period