2007 Ethics in Action
Those Left Behind
Bloodbath at Gettysburg
(An Ashokan Perspective)
Basil Fernando (www.basilfernando.net)
“The world can never forget
what they did here”
said Lincoln
what shall we
not forget, one may ask
brothers killings brothers
generals scheming to outwit others
forty thousand or more
lying Dead, Dead, Dead.
Indians also have bled and died
blood sucked by earth
at Gettysburg joined
rivers of native Indian blood
who are heroes, who are villains
who are brave ,who are cowards
what is glory
what is eternal remembrance.
he that has no will to kill
is he a fool
or Gettysburg, Waterloo
monuments to human folly.
when nations treasure military schools
name calculatingly cruel generals as great,
what human wisdom can
humanity retain.
Gettysburg ,Waterloo
human shame hides itself as pride
human minds find the escape route
to depression and psychosis
lie upon lie is born of
rotting consciences of human kind.
wasted blood, wasted lives
wasted minds of the generals
wasted pages and trees
propagating lies and making lies appear less harmful.
That’s what new generations
remember of Gettysburg, of Waterloo
And other such places
Monuments to human folly.
