Child Play In Kabul...By Talile Ali Poem by Talile Ali

CHILD PLAY IN KABUL...BY TALILE ALI

I FLICK ON MY TV SET
AND WHAT DO I SEE
KIDS PLAYING ON A JUNGLE GYM
SO IT APPEARED TO BE

NEWSMAN TALKING IN THE BACKGROUND
SPEAKING OF WAR AND THE U.S. THERE
I LOOK AGAIN TO SEE THE SAME KIDS
ON ABANDONED TANK'S SMILING AND AWARE

THEY WERE HAVING SO MUCH FUN
ON THE THING WE LEFT BEHIND
PLAYING ON THAT ARMY TANK
HAVING THEMSELVES SUCH A GOOD TIME

MY MIND WAS TOTALLY IN SHOCK
FOR ALL OF THIS WAS REAL
KIDS DANCING ON THE BARREL OF A TANK
IN THE NOON DAY SUN, SURREAL

IS THIS TO BE THE LEGACY
OF AMERICA ACROSS THE LAND
WAR FOR PROFIT AND CONTROL
AND DAMN ALL OF THE CHILDREN

I WANTED TO PUKE AT FIRST
THEN I REGAIN MY SENSES
AFTER ALL MY COMPLIANCE
ALLOWED OUR GOVERNMENT TO COMMIT THESE OFFENSES

I BEGAN TO WONDER ABOUT
ALL THE TANKS WE'VE MADE
AND LEFT LAYING AROUND THE WORLD
AFTER OUR BUSINESSES HAS GOT PAID

WHY AM I NOT OUT IN THE STREETS
PROTESTING AND REBELLING
AS I DRINK MY FLUORIDATED WATER
AND TAKE ALL OF MY MEDICATIONS

I REALLY DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND
WHY WE ARE SO WILLING
TO ALLOW SO MANY ATROCITIES
EVER TO BEGIN AND HAPPEN

AS I TAKE MORE MEDICATION
AND ANOTHER GLASS OF FLUORIDATED WATER
I START TO STOP THINKING ABOUT
ANY CHILDREN AND HOW THEY 'RE SLAUGHTERED

MAYBE ITS THE MEDICATION
MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING ELSE
ONLY DOING WHAT I'M TAUGHT TO
PUTTING THESE CONCERNS ON A SHELF