Whenever I see the news
flashes and whenever I hear the latest death
tolls I hear this war War WAR! deep in my ears
And whenever I hear our white collar red and blue
tie kind of guys talking about not talking but bombing
some so-called terrorists back into stone ages I think of Hitler
and that faked attack by German special troops in some Polish
costumes. And again I hear war War WAR! deep in my bloody head
So when twin towers crumble and red busses explode and morning trains
and subways and hotels and warships and cars and persons and discoteques blow to pieces...
I hear this haunting refrain
and it's rhythm doesn't fit
to the cycle of my blood pumping
one love, ONE LOVE, 1 LUV
And now that the bombs fall
again and the mortars and the missiles kill
again and now that the industry of armament is grinning
its big big biz and winner's smile again
Now that the kids are screaming
with the jets and bombs
Now that the kids are bleeding
with the city, land and scape
Now that the hate is pressure rising
again and every one has his opinion and her side
a flag, a song, a demonstration
Now I hear the screams of ancient furies
on news flashes and roof tops everywhere on every tide
But I do not surrender my pulse
And I will not surrender my rhythm
And I do not surrender one love
And I will keep and tender white dove
And I do not take sides
And I will never deal hides
And I do not
And I kill not
stop
Actually
I should silence myself
Better it would be and easy and free
(no friends I would lose on both sides of this bloodied river and its ready-to-throw silt)
I should silence myself - some say -
due to historical reasons and guilt
(Colonialism, Nazism and all that killing spree)
I could silence myself
but alas, what a silencer that would be on my poetical head
I could silence myself
but my ass, what a headshot that would be on my poetical dread
So speak I must
So write I must
hitting dust
between frontiers
impaled
on that forbidden wall
that Banksy coloured (the way I would too)
so let's end this rhyme 'n' stand silent, stand tall
You
who have the tanks and the jets and the might and the right
friends overseas and this everglooming historical plight
from Egyptian times to this very night
you could read your scriptures:
One I for an I
You
who have scorn and have zeal and have spittle
just to drown the other side and an ideal of world union
How about a little peace on your own side
instead of all that cutting and whittle
Hostages of splinters and fractions
you could read your scriptures:
You were not created to bombing die
You
both of you!
Unconditional love for the same land
unconditional love for the same God
how come you learned to hate your brethren?
You
both of you!
Cutting your men the same way
cutting your meat the same way
how come you learned to butcher your sistren?
You, both of you!
Shame on your war-mongers
your weapon traders
your killers
Shame on you
for not caring enough
for your children to raise
lambs instead of an army
For not trying hard and tough
to share that land that you love
in peace and harmony
Shame on you
for oh easily falling
for such bloody bait
as fury and
hate
You will say
I am an infidel
both of you
You will say
I am an ignorant
both of you
You will say
and you will sway
and find excuses
But all over the world
word has it
that your conflict
might just be
the ultimate key
to peace
So don't
tell me
not to
care
(don't
tell me
not to
dare)
