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FREEDOMWAYS THIRD QUARTER 1972 In the quiet dignified houses Nixon flashes on T.V. Smiling his asinine smile and waving his asinine wave While men lie along the road like so much garbage If only a trade could be made Send the garbage and leaves to Nam Send the corpses to suburbia. Take the war out of the T.V.s and put it in the complacent streets Kick Amerika awake Before it dies in its sleep. THE CHEERLEADERS HARRISON KOHLER John Wayne Leads A charge of leathernecks against the japs or the jerries, He's tough and not afraid to die. Georgie Jessel Is Lean and mean in his tailored American Legion uniform, Grizzled veteran of hellish vaudeville campaigns. Martha Raye Has Her green beret and combat infantryman's badge, She goes where the action is. Bob Hope Travels All over the world To entertain "our boys." War Is A paunchy worn out movie hero 220 POETRY FROM VIETNAM A tired old man A menopaused hag A grotesque comedian Parading Patriotic Obscenities. MOURNING THE DEATH, BY HEMORRHAGE, OF A CHILD FROM HONAI BASIL T. PAQUET Always the children are included In these battles for the body politic. Prefaced with mortars and rockets The Year of the Monkey was preluded By the mephitic Stench of blasted bodies sullenly drifting from the pocket Of refugee hootches at Honai The enemy patriots knew the young Would be glad to die for the revolution. The allies were certain the vox populi Called a mandate for flag-strung Counter attack and awful retribution. The majesty of the annihilation of the city Could be heard clearly in the background, I could only wonder what ideology The child carried in her left arm-- necessity Must have dictated an M-16 round Should cut it off, and her gaining the roll of martyrology. Her dying in my arms, this daughter Weaned on war, was for the greater Glory of all concerned. There was no time to mourn your slaughter Small, denuded, one-armed thing, I too was violator, And after the first death, the many must go unmourned. 221