The Fury of War: An elegy for millions in two voices

Enough people die, and
Verdun: 984,000
we count the unfathomable number
Auschwitz-Birkenau: 1,500,000
of lives lost to
Dresden: 135,000
the fury of war. We forget
Nagasaki: 73,884
each number is significant.
Hiroshima: 65,000
In life, a mother, father, sister
Korea: 36,995
or brother, but in death, only abstract
Vietnam: 58,151
statistics. Each deserves an elegy,
September 11, 2001: 3,173
but there will never be enough poets.

THIS SORT OF VERSE SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE PROS.

THIS SORT OF VERSE SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE PROS.
I WORK MOSTLY IN PROSE, C’EST MA FORTÉ.
IN THESE METERED FORMS, MY SHILLS DO NOT LAY
AND WITH LITTLE READING, I’M SURE IT SHOWS.

5 I CAN THINK OF NOTHING BUT THESE STRUGGLES;
MY MIND SET SOLELY ON COMPOSITION
AND MY MOM COMPLAINING OF LOST TUITION.
“DON’T LIVE YOUR LIFE DREAMING, SET SOME GOALS.”

SHE SAYS TO LOOK INTO JOURNALISM.
10 I SCOFF, “THAT MEDIUM? TOO EPHEMERAL.
NOT MY CALLING. IT WOULD BE A PRISON.”
I AM NOT AFRAID TO MAKE A MISTAKE ETERNAL.

I WILL CONTINUE THIS APPRENTICESHIP,
AND WITH THE LANGUAGE, EXTEND THIS COURTSHIP.

Sonnett 17

What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?

What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?

What does he know about the picture show?
What does he know about the picture show?