Amid Poem by Mike Barrett

Amid the cannon's roar
And snipers fire,
Amid the growling tanks
And screaming jets,
Amid the mines
And shrapnel hand grenades,
The bloodied mud
And dead dismembered men
There is a terror -
A horror so great
That death itself seems peace.

Amid the bustling city crowds
On busy city streets,
Amid the payroll lines
And stupid banking queues,
Amid the crowds
In spacious shopping stores
Where money hungry mouths
Are never closed
There is a terror -
A quiet desperation
Gnawing from within
Of which we're conscious
Only when tranquil.

Amid the minds
Of many whom I know
There lies the thought
That death through war's in vain -
Yet,
From a pensive point of view,
Is quiet desperation not insane?


© M. Barrett – all rights reserved