August 22 2005

The Lament of Cindy Sheehan

This poem has won an editor’s choice award, August 2005, for outstanding achievement in poetry presented by poetry.com and the International Library of Poetry.

By John Kaminski

The mother hung her head.
She filled the room with dread.
The words she spoke allowed no joke.
Her lovely son was dead.

Her tortured words were heard,
But silence was preferred.
This fearful town, its hearts worn down
Declared her tale absurd.

The soldier lost his life
While spreading needless strife.
His victims fell, he heard them yell
Where violence was rife.

The mother sobbed, “But why ...?”
The whole world heard her cry,
“This war was fought for twisted thought,
His life lost for a lie.”