Do you know that every day, 10 people in Afghanistan are injured by landmines? It will continue for the next 50 years, because the country has the largest number of landmines in the world.
quote by Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The question in their minds was, why did the outside world, and particularly the Western world, produce all these landmines, and send them to Afghanistan? This business must be stopped. It's a dirty business to produce such a horrible device.
quote by Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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~trillion Dollar War~
"Ours is not to question why"
So many soldiers n' contractors die,
In a hostile Country far away
As a once great Nation begins decay
ROTMS
Here a few more numbers to keep in mind as we approach the 2014 deadline for withdrawal of US combat forces:
68,000: The number of US troops still stationed in Afghanistan.
117,227: The total number of Department of Defense contractors working in Afghanistan.
34,765: The number of US citizens working as contractors in Afghanistan.
9,355: The number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan since Obama took office.
18,553: The total number of civilian casualties since the war started.
1491: The number of US troop casualties in Afghanistan since Obama took office.
2121: The total number of US troop casualties since the war started.
$385,600,000,000: The estimated financial cost of the war in Afghanistan to the US taxpayer since Obama took office.
$557,300,000,000: The estimated financial cost of the war in Afghanistan to the US taxpayer since October 7,2001.
View ROTMS writings, images and video at;
rotms.blogspot.com
poem by Ray Lucero
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Ablaze
Ablaze! An armoured car
is aflame and stuck in
a field of landmines
and enemy tanks are everywhere.
So soldiers say - on yesterday –
just as the dawn was grey
a Ratels wheels
set some landmines of
and it was stuck there
and received seven shells
from enemy tanks
and it’s a terrible, terrible thing.
So Generals say – on yesterday –
just as the sun was rising
we lost one Ratel-90 armoured car
stuck in a landmine field,
but she gave a brave fight
and the enemy lost
thirteen tanks that came
to take a shot at her.
So angels say – on yesterday –
just as sun lit the sky,
man played war games again
and used explosives, cannon and flame
and innocent men died
trying to survive
and it’s a pity
that man doesn’t know
how to live in peace.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Wasteland
Wasteland: Man created desolation.
Now although the tides of war have moved on.
The earth conceals seeds of destruction
One step can trigger an explosion.
There’s little hope of reconstruction
and even less of compensation...
The simple folk who once farmed hereabout.
Were by opposing armies driven out
Now homeless refugees they go without.
Although receiving sympathy; I doubt
if it will help. Because they are still kept out
by landmines which have not been taken out.
What should be seen as a priority
is not being regarded seriously.
Sadly it has been left to charity
to remove the mines but too slowly
By experts; all volunteers who gallantly
risk life and limb so that the land can be
returned to useful cultivation
The landmines made safe every last one
no more need to fear explosion
The land is safe; a job well done
There’s little time to rest we must move on.
There always seems to be another one.
Another area needing to be cleared
of land mines which are rightly feared.
The rightful owners have disappeared
forced to flee when rebel soldiers appeared.
When we arrive we won’t be loudly cheered.
The land is empty desolate and weird.
14-Mar-09
http: // blog.myspace.com/poeticpiers
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
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Landmines and Amputees
From Angola to Cambodia
from Mozambique to Bosnia
from Afghanistan to Iraq and Iran
from Egypt, Kuwait to Somalia,
we are the amputees, the living witness,
to the ghosts of war.
Why are landmines
planted in the soil of our existence -
in our farms, in our parks,
in our forests and playgrounds,
in all the sacred corners
of our lives?
Why are they planted
to betray our freedom
to take away our trust
in the soil of our existence
to steal away our innocense
and laughter and
to transform our days and nights
into screams of pain and horror?
How many Dianas will come and visit us?
How many Ottawa Conventions
should be signed?
How many Nobel Peace Prize winners
should be named
before our soil of existence
can be declared
as safety zones?
How many more wars should men
in the world create
to agonize
our spirits and bodies?
poem by Elizabeth Padillo Olesen
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If today is anything like the typical day of the past 3 years, three American soldiers will die in Iraq or Afghanistan, the Taliban will get a little stronger in Afghanistan and the civil war will continue to be enhanced in Iraq.
quote by Alcee Hastings
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Booby Traps
Left neglected proximity abandoned
in a field of smiling vicious landmines.
Friends of instigator female friend
specialist sappers declare mine hidden war.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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The Killer Inferno at Sivakasi
The killer inferno is a great tragedy
At the fire works manufacturing factory,
It is situated in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, India,
Which is called as the ‘Little Japan of India'.
In our country it is the unit best,
And in the world ‘tis the second largest;
While we thus raise the collar,
The powerful explosions are a shock caller.
Many people died in the raging blaze,
And many were injured in the smoking haze;
Thirty-five persons were charred to death,
And more than seventy were injured in health.
In small sheds workers were over crowding,
Above the limits the raw materials were in dumping;
There exist prescribed rules and regulations,
But many were the norms that were in violations.
Let us cogitate over the fire-works,
As jeopardy to many lives therein lurks;
All fire-works in display should be hated,
As large sums of money are truly wasted.
To the kin of the injured and deceased,
Ex-gratia money was given and eased;
To the many precious lives lost,
Can this ever be an equal cost?
poem by Chandra Thiagarajan
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Words, Oh, They Come Later Before The Explosion Actually
words are not just words
she cries sometimes and i wonder
if i have said something that makes the tears
and let them flow like the waterfalls
of Maria Cristina
how i still wonder
if i have written the words that know how
to pierce the conscience
and burst the bubble
and detonate and explode
the grenades and the landmines
of the war grounds
and theaters of
war
what simply exists there even the word
is uttered.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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It is not that God has no pity (in answer to Yehuda Amichai)
It is not that God has no pity
on adult soldiers, who crawl
on all fours
and that He only cares
for small children and much less
for children at school,
any fool could believe this gibberish,
but when bullets whistle past your head,
you see comrades and the enemy dead,
how rockets penetrate through
the thick steel armour of tanks
and armoured cars
how grenades, landmines and bombs
explode shattering
you know that mere men
are doing and continue doing
these evil war things
and when you live through
this kind of hell
and come out unscathed,
still living
when your should have been dead,
you know that you are really worshipping
a loving and pitiful God instead
of the merciless one
that some are painting Him
as He has accompanied you
right through the dread.
[Reference: God Has Pity On Kindergarten Children by Yehuda Amichai.]
poem by Gert Strydom
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World Wide
World wide
People are waiting for the arrival of spring
World wide people are celebrating Easter
The Easter egg is a sign of fertility
World wide people are waiting for God’s arrival
World wide is in trouble
I hope if anybody can fix it
Will have to be God alone
World wide
You hear about our peace keepers being sent to Afghanistan
World wide
They hear
About the soldiers we lost
When are we going to pull out of Afghanistan?
World wide
Is hunger and poverty
Why don’t they spend the money wisely world wide?
Why don’t they end the war world wide?
They don’t even seem to get tired
I am already tired about listening to it
And to know that it is going on world wide
When are people going to share a moment of silence world wide?
And share the truth with one another world wide
We are loosing this battle world wide
What can we learn from this battle world wide?
poem by Aldo Kraas
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Landmines in the Living Room
Those Landmines in the Living room
Can do a man much harm
And, being metaphorical-
They’re a challenge to disarm.
When my daughter’s home from college
a month can seem an age
A simple misspeak or misstep
can incur her wrath and rage.
Her life of course is difficult
She cannot drink or drive
She sleeps all day and parties nights
It’s a wonder we’re alive.
Weight opinions carefully
Whenever she’s around
Don’t set off a screaming match
you will not win a round
We have a fortnight left until
We pack her out the door
And when she’s gone I’ll miss her-
until she invades once more.
poem by John F. McCullagh
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We didn't do anything wrong, but among the lessons learned, given the magnitude of the problems we now face in Afghanistan, a major U.S. force on the ground would convince the world we were in for the long-haul recovery of a country devastated by 21 years of warfare.
quote by Alexander Haig
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The events of September 11 and what has happened since have made people understand that even a small, distant and far away country like Afghanistan cannot be left to break up into anarchy and chaos without consequences for the whole world.
quote by Lakhdar Brahimi
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Where He Was
Meditation was futile.
He turned his back
from the green prayers.
The state had made a mockery of his love.
The words were not clear
written on the periphery of pain.
He fathered
dust to dust, his light
folded his trembling hands,
lying on jaundiced bed.
Syntax was rising.
He stood alone amidst landmines
malice for none, beast and history.
The stones were falling from sky.
The punished was partaking the blows,
where he was
others were absent.
poem by Satish Verma
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Aside from a few master teachers that we have had over the years, this has been a completely local talent development. But people have started to come now from Chicago, we have a number of students from Chicago and different places of the country and even in the world.
quote by Katherine Dunham
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The product is the delivery of the largest number of people at the least cost.
quote by George Gerbner
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Military visit to a rural village (rondine)
Harbouring terrorists, at the dead of night
we found the right dilapidated village,
terrorists were afraid to further war wage,
the stars, the yellow moon shone very bright,
and in armoured cars we were geared to fight,
all the villagers were scared, had no courage;
harbouring terrorists
I had no great sympathy with their plight,
as to farmers and women they did damage
were planting landmines at almost any age,
huddled together the were a sore sight,
harbouring terrorists.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Friendly Fire
Weve got a brand new game with an age old name
Called birds and bees its always been the same
Since the world began
I know I play with fire and youre gasoline
Im your fool and youre my queen
The on that I admire
Well weve reached the top and dont look back
You took my heart and broke my neck
Ooh how I desire
To die in your friendly fire
Well I want you girl and thats all I want
Ill be the blitzkrieg tank at your bedroom front
And Ill roll over your landmines
In your little jungle Ill be the snake
Throwing the apples dive in your lake
And Ill drink it dry
Well weve reached the point of no return
We started a fire that will always burn
Oooh how I desire
To die in your friendly fire
song performed by by Fury In The Slaughterhouse
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Marriage Vows/Aniversary Successes
How little we know in our growing years?
Protected by our loved ones from woes and fears.
We continue to grow from our past.
Searching for a new love one that will last.
Accentuated by our social being to find one with to share.
We take our wedding vows to show the world we care.
A family is next to sustain our marriage and fortify our love.
To succeed this human experience needs to be blessed from above.
We think back how easy it was to say, 'I do'
But it was your conviction, good foundation and character that seen you through.
Each years number large or small celebrate your anniversary none the less.
For the greater the number the greater the the success.
poem by Theodore Colterelli
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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