In What We've Done We Take the Greatest Shame

July 8, 2016

Dear Subscriber:

Each week we examine a theme from a variety of points of view. This week’s theme is Independence Day, in honor of Independence Day (USA), which falls on July 4.

Today’s poem is an Independence Day poem about Americans coming to terms with the evil they have done while fighting terror.

I welcome comments on my poems at http://nicholasgordon.blogspot.com.

Yours,

Nick Gordon

In what we've done we take the greatest shame.

Nothing that was done to us excuses it.

Despite the evil of our enemies,

Evil never justifies more evil,

Perhaps because it never leads to good.

Each tortured prisoner pollutes our name.

None has unchecked power but abuses it.

Defying friends, ignoring verities,

Embracing our illusions without scruple,

Now we must repent, as well we should.

Conquerors must always take the blame.

Each rules ruthlessly its state or loses it.

Demons overran our conquerees

As we washed our hands of our debacle,

Yielding to what washed our dreams in blood.

© by Nicholas Gordon

Hear or watch me recite this poem and listen to the music I chose for it at http://www.poemsforfree.com/inwhat.html. For more poems for Independence Day, go to http://www.poemsforfree.com/july4thpoems.html .

This week’s theme: Independence Day.

July 4: Just Remember: Freedom’s Not a Given

July 5: Your Light Still Lingers in Our Distant Morning

July 6: Just Words Declared Our Freedom Long Ago

July 7: July 4^th Is a Day for Barbeques

July 8: In What We’ve Done We Take the GreatestShame