FALLUJA
(The 'final' bombing and assault on Falluja followed on the 're-
election' of George Bush, and on the Lancet's report of the deaths of
98,000 Iraqi civilians, mainly women and children, after the illegal
invasion of their country by the 'foreign fighters' of the US
and Britain. This figure for civilian deaths excluded those killed in Falluja
during the first assault.)

      Come friendly bombs, fall on us now,
      As humans, we don't count somehow,
      And SMARTest weapons still allow
         Unreckoned death.

      Come bombs, and blow to bloody rags
      Insurgents garbed as scally-wags,
      False youths, false men, false maids, false hags,
         Not worth life's breath.

      Bomb and bulldoze Falluja's town,
      Bring minarets, like statues, down -
      Their message with munitions drown
         And burst our ears.

      And smash those folk, from God-knows-where,
      Who simply fight and do not care,
      But live among us - everywhere -
         Till death appears.

      Then, 'blitz' our homes and lay them low,
      Entomb our dead so, at one blow,
      As 'Freedom' spreads, we'll learn to know
         'Liberty's' knell.

      But spare 'police' and oil-men too,
      Who toil to aid 'allied' air-crew,
      In heaven-cleaving work they do
         Above our Hell.

      It's not their fault they cannot smell
      Exploded guts, or even tell
      The scream of death from that of shell,
         That tears at flesh;

      And only think of furloughs free,
      In Fort Worth or in Milwaukee,
      And don't look down, slight death to see,
         But shower up fresh.

      In unbombed homes, with loving wives,
      They'll tease out unentangled lives
      For decades, till their turn arrives
         To draw last breath.

      So - friendly bombs, fall on us now
      That, from our dust, may grow somehow,
      Inhuman strength, enough to vow
         Your choking death.

                    (Apologies to John Betjeman)