Well, I had two people on my mind this week. I pray for them both, as Jesus told us to pray for our enemies. My prayer life is very busy – for the first, I pray that the true spirit of Islam enter his soul; for the second, I pray that he find his way past the pretense that he’s a model Christian. When wars are fought, God – Allah, Jehovah, Adonai, Mother and Father – can only weep.
TWO MEN, SO DIFFERENT, SO ALIKE (WWP Prompt)
I was called by God
to seek revenge for what they did to us
Gathering my forces
Forging alliances as I was able
(usually with cash aplenty)
Together we blew up symbols of
their greed, their avarice, their hubris
And now they whittle away what resources they have left
trying to make sure we don’t hit them the same way again.
In this way, I have led our people to triumph.
I am Osama bin Laden
I was called by God
to seek revenge for what they did to us
Gathering my forces
Forging alliances with one major country and a few smaller ones
(and borrowing the funds from the Chinese)
Through no-bid contracts and undercover torture, we fought
their conspiracy, their evil, their hubris
And now they are running, hiding, cunning
We will never catch them on their home turf.
By handing the quagmire over to the next president, I retired, smug.
I am George W. Bush
© 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore, Sharp Little Pencil
ravenswingpoetry
Nicely done! These read like part antithesis, part mirror image. I like how you connected the two with your common phrasing. Well done.
-Nicole
brenda w
Oh Darling, you rock! I love this piece, I was expecting the second stanza to be bin Laden as well, and must say I was rather pleasantly surprised. LoL
Linda Frances
Isn’t it interesting how God gives this type of order? Wonderful take.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Linda. Yes, it’s weird how God is always on the side of the warrior. I used to hate how Gary Carter was always thanking Jesus for the Mets’ wins in the 80s. I felt like saying, “Oh, does that mean God hated the Cubs today?!” And all the moreso with war… the Civil War, the Revolutionary War… the Powers That Be always claim the moral high ground.
Mr. Walker
I like your pairing. The “hubris” indeed of being “called by God”.
Marian Veverka
That is so good!! And it is just what happened, looked at from different angles.
Sharp Little Pencil
That’s the essence of Fundamentalism. It’s really all about personal interpretation and power. Thanks, Marian!