Poetry and War

Well, I just got back from a Langston Hughes poetry reading as read by Danny Glover, reknowned actor. Why he'd come to the (literally) middle of Wisconsin when it's -15 out, I don't know. :) Anyway, the presentation was fantastic, and civil rights and peace and activism were subjects brought up in the course of the poetry reading and questions afterward.

I remember one part explicitly...
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Some Guy: "Mr. Glover, do you feel that the civil rights and human struggle so eloquently described by Langston Hughes' poetry is a value that is comparable to what drives the Bush Administration to go to war with Iraq?"

Danny Glover: "Absolutely not."

::wild clapping, cheers and standing ovations::

Danny Glover:[long tirade on war and peace, etc]
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Anyway, I was just posting this to make you aware that actors are all right people. He's an activist for impoverished nations that suffer cruel regimes and economic stagnation. Travelling to places like Africa, South America, and various 3rd world countries, I feel he is an admirable man. Well, that's my rant. Do you have any thoughts about war (yes, I know there was an earlier post on it) in general or specific, human rights, Langston Hughes' poetry (or anyone elses for that matter) or anything you feel that is relevant to this post?

Some Guy: "Mr. Glover, do you feel that the civil rights and human struggle so eloquently described by Langston Hughes' poetry is a value that is comparable to what drives the Bush Administration to go to war with Iraq?"

What kind of stupid fucked up question is that?

Arioch said:

What kind of stupid fucked up question is that?

A gimme question designed to segue an actor into a long tirade on war and peace, etc, and thus earn the actor props.

IMJack said:

A gimme question designed to segue an actor into a long tirade on war and peace, etc, and thus earn the actor props.

Eh. I wasn't saying it was a good question or not. I just thought it was kind of funny how abruptly he answered it so flatly and easily. And, yes, it was clearly a gimme question. Does it make a difference that it was asked by an African American? Probably.

The fact that Laura Bush cancelled a poetry session because almost all of America's greatest poets wanted to read their poems with topic anti-war is illuminating.

It's not even a coherent question, there's like no meaning at all in it ...

It's a question that's in the air wherever you go. Simply put, the Bush administration promotes its war by associating its aims with "freedom and human rights" and and by claiming that a successful campaign will promote the reknown "american freedom" for all or most parties involved (americans, iraqui people, etc.)

Just like the Vietnam War, though, it's hypocritical in nature. Trying to help other countries fight to achieve ideals we haven't even attained wholly.

Democracy imposed beneath 3,000 bombs is hardly democracy.

Yeah, after the dust has cleared how many Iraqi will there be left to vote?

The German Guns - by Baldrick

Boom, boom, boom, boom,

Boom, boom, boom.

Boom boom boom boom,

Boom boom boom.



War poetry at it's best.

'We're having a war,
and we want you to come!'
So the pig began to whistle
and to pound on a drum
'We'll give you a gun,
and we'll give you a hat!'
And the pig began to whistle
when they told the piggies that!

The pig put on his webbing,
and they marched him up and down
He did it with a whistle,
so they gave him sand to pound
He crossed the burning desert,
and he trekked the arctic night
And they made him do it over
so he'd learn to do it right

The pig cleaned up his webbing,
and he shined his bayonet
Some people started shooting,
so he shot them with regret
He couldn't work an office,
and he couldn't be a clerk
For pigs who like to whistle,
like to whistle while they work

The pig went on vacations,
to places near and far,
For fighting wars on schedule,
makes for very good PR.
The bosses love the piggies,
and the natives think them swell,
[Or] At least they often say so
after putting them through hell.

The bombings and the shootings
kept the pig from getting sleep,
But mines are very nice
for keeping wolves away from sheep.
The general got impatient
when the natives tried to play,
But the Piggy cleaned a pistol,
and the problem went away!

Some people dressed in pinstripes
with the money that they had,
They strutted in their costumes
'til they made the piggies mad.
They made themselves a nuisance
when they tried to legislate,
But pigs who like to whistle
also like affairs of state.

The pig got bored with football,
and he wanted something new,
So he found himself a country
where the folks were colored blue.
The pig put on his manners
and he wore a tie and suit,
And the people were so friendly
that they almost didn't shoot!

Pigs whistle when they lose,
and they whistle when they win,
'Cause when the shooting's over
they scrub off and start again.

Wars are sometimes over
and they debited his pay,
They took away his hat
and they took his gun away,
They told him they were thankful
and they split him north to south
As they fried him with a whistle
and an apple in his mouth!

The pig had bought a homeland
and he earned it with his sweat,
He filled it full of corpses
just to liquidate the debt.
He taught the natives manners
and it didn't take him long
To teach them how to whistle
and to sing The Whistle Song!

The pig came home from warring
and began to sing a song,
"My country isn't perfect
but it's closer right than wrong."
He wore a sprig of laurel,
and he waved an olive twig,
And he whistled to the people
so he'd be a whistling pig!

Someday, there won't be fighting,
they'll put the guns away,
Men will love each other,
and join their hands to pray.
Peace will come forever,
people won't get shot and die-
And on that day, the pigs
will spread their wings and learn to fly!

~ Whistling Pigs, by anonymous
Appears in novels by Robert Frezza
Props to Eric Hallstrom