Politicians                               

War—it excites them.
The lies they tell about the size
of the enemy’s weapons stoke                            
our fear, our anticipation. Their hot
words stroke nerve endings,             
ours and theirs. They strip us
of our sense of safety.   

War—just the possibility arouses them.
The money they will make lubricates
the process. They think about it, obsess over it
when they lie with their wives.
Or mistresses. 

They dream about it.
When it comes they are hard
to reason with. Their appetite is insatiable.          

Of course they, personally, never engage
the enemy. They play it safe. But they thrust          
the country into war. They prolong          
hostilities. Reluctant to withdraw,
they extend the theater of operations.           

Their urges cannot be denied.

.

Phyllis Wax writes on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI. She grew up in the Washington, DC area, which might be why social justice issues push their way into much of her work. Her poetry has appeared in many publications, including Writers Resist, Jerry Jazz Musician, Rise Up Review, Spillway, Peacock Journal, Gyroscope Review, Wordpeace, New Verse News, Your Daily Poem. She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, as well as the Best of the Net and Bettering American Poetry anthologies.