The Urge Poem by James Osumo

From day to day,
Season to season,
In every corner of the earth,
From North to South,
From West to East,
In song and exaltation,
We welcome you,
To Every home,
Though you come to plunder,
To bluster and to murder,
War Oh war what makes you so lovely?

Our lives we offer you,
In justice’s name,
In democracy’s name,
In peace’s name,
In religion’s name,
In sovereignty’s name,
In liberation’s name,
In patriotism’s name,
In God’s name,
Our homes you enter,
Even though you bring pain and no gain,
War oh war what makes you so lovely?

In darkness and in sunshine,
In time of plenty and in famine,
At dusk and at dawn,
In drought and in rain,
Father, mother and child train,
Their hands and brain,
To kill and maim,
Brother and sister,
Son and daughter
Mother and father,
War oh war what makes you so attractive?

Your command, we obey,
And like Abel and Cain,
Brother against brother,
Sister against sister,
Take the sword and the cane,
The spear and the gun,
The bomb and the mine,
The dagger and the stone,
The tanker and the plane
To murder and to butcher,
War oh War what makes you so lovely?

You take our life and coin,
Leaving children crying in vain,
For lack of water and grain,
And mothers slain,
Across the valley and across the plain,
On the hill and on the mountain,
Our shelters you burn,
Yet we cheer you on,
And join in your faceless laughter,
As bloody red replaces grass’ green,
War Oh War, what makes you so lovely?