Your Soldiers Are Not God’s Soldiers

Never are, but almost always
Claimed as something like by someone.

Saadi Youssef was writing of
The Yankee soldiers in Iraq

And right enough, but we’d suggest
No god has soldiers, no god

Has no soldiers, soldiers have gods
Like flags and party memberships

And all the paraphernalia
Used to focus soldiers on team

And courage and not switching teams.
Practically speaking, all know this—

All know there are many soldiers
Hired or forced on to many teams

And frenzies must be whipped from them
Since they won’t all war for pleasure.

All know this is psychology,
But gods are good psychology

And always have some adherents
Among warriors and warmongers.

Imagine it were possible
That all soldiers, all wars, all teams,

All cruelties from all sides were
God’s, the whole mess pure, divine sport.

No one wants to believe in that
God, but wouldn’t it make more sense?