Now that the Parades are over...

Now that the parades for Veteran's Day are over it might be time to do a little stocktaking. We have all been horrified by the carnage of killing by an Army Psychiatrist at Fort Hood. But the New York Times has just pointed out that this killing spree is only part of the picture at Fort Hood. The Crisis Center for servicemen reports that they are receiving over 60 phone calls a week. Since 2003 there have been 76 suicides at Fort Hood--ten this year. Read about some of the terrible fallout of this war in the Times' article.

"We are waiting for peace to break out
We are waiting for flowers to bloom
We are waiting for the moon to come
from behind the black clouds of war
We are waiting for the light
We are waiting
and as we wait we sing songs of celebration
We are waiting
and as we wait we hold out our hands in love and friendship:
white hands extend in friendship to black hands
and brown and green hands of the earth
We are waiting
and while we wait we applaud those who have gone
before us
preaching peace: all the Martin Luther Kings, all the
Gandhi's...
We are waiting for peace to break out..."
--Carlos Reyes

Want to read up to date fine poetry about the war? There is a Web site, Poets Against the War which I have found to be great. I recommend.