REDACTED

Headlines are a master of disguise.

 

When speaking about war they say

civilian casualties,

never murders,

 

because the latter would naturally

prompt one to ask:

 

Who

did the murdering?

 

And let’s just say

REDACTED

don’t want you to ask

too many questions when they

push the button,

send the bomb.

 

You’re to supposed to nod in unison with

REDACTED

and walk away,

like they do,

smug in the notion

those “casualties”

could not have been avoided;

 

such a shame.

You do realize, however,

REDACTED

could just as easily

pull the trigger

on you, and again,

your casualty

could not have been avoided;

again, such a shame.

*Published by Central Coast Poetry Shows on 7/26/20