"CERTIFICATES TO MOUNT"

[Glenny Palmer]

‘CERTIFICATES TO MOUNT’
© 2010 Glenny Palmer
.
A mother gazes mutely from a humble oval frame;
a father standing staunchly by her side does much the same.
Across a room bedecked with shameless platitudes sublime,
two sons of war gaze proudly back, in uniforms of crime.
.
Two sons so keen & ready to defend our country’s shores,
two sons beguiled by despots fuelling fiscal gain through wars;
just fodder for Gallipoli, just seen as no account,
and granted for their legacy?...certificates to mount.
.
I ache for Grandma gazing from that oval picture frame,
and see within my Grandad’s eyes presumption of the shame
that banished each dear son to blood soaked clay of foreign wild,
and banished ever more, the right to see, to hold their child.
.
And yet another mother smiles within a gilded frame;
her son, in pin striped suit’s success, beside her smiles the same.
Across a room bedecked with priceless artefacts, ill won,
sublime in moral ignorance, she sees and holds her son…
.
…her son, who rose to Presidency, oils the war machine
while thumping on the dais, “…terrorism is obscene.’’
And all his human cattle don his uniforms of crime,
while he invests with confidence in terrorism’s mime.
.
Big bankers and big business…the five percent that rules
the power gods dictating a ‘democracy’ of fools,
while we, the ninety five percent, are forging on the tread
to turn their wheels with honest sweat, to keep their fodder fed.
.
And now this mother’s weeping on a wooden picture frame.
My son of war smiles proudly back entirely free of blame,
just fodder for Afghanistan, just seen as no account
by despots; and his legacy?... certificates to mount.
.

Grandma & Pa Crofts circa 1874.jpg

[Shelley Hansen]

An outstanding poetic comment on the futility of war, Glenny!

It really packs a punch!

Cheers
Shelley

[Glenny Palmer]

Thank you Shelley. The poem sprang to life when I realised I had hung my Grandparents' old photo so that they were 'gazing' across at the Honour The Brave framed certificates of their 2 dear sons lost to the obscenity of war.

[mummsie]

A beautiful, thought provoking piece Glenny.
Tens of thousands Australian soldiers were this "fodder" that you speak of-the "enemy" were well fed.

[David Campbell]

A powerful poem, Glenny, dramatically highlighting the gulf between those who make the political decisions and those who pay the price.

Cheers
David

[Glenny Palmer]

Many thanks David and Sue. It's one of those that I do hold dear, being written for family.