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Get it up for War

Sunday 2nd March 2008 9:14 pm

A howitzer is just a pumping phallus
its shells are scattered seeds
and the men behind it
so supressed in deed
that
for
Every explosion
leads an endless feed for more.
A victorious whore.
Another notch.
Another gory bed-
posted abroad.

Even the virile are surprised
with the apeal and rise
of killing
as the semi sunken
rod of lead
penetrates.........
sweating bulletts

may she never mock

Get it up mate
For war
Get it up for war

The irony of natures shoes
As when stood inside
An erection does choose to rise
Upon killing.

You ever noticed that my fellow men?

-how now and then
the killing flicks the switch
the thought you tried to itch
but like glass splinter
lies the eternal glitch
of man
it will never leave
the shrapnel - your seeds
no escape inside
the mind

Is all this natural?
and you call us civilised!

You surprised then? ,for howitzer
for browning,
for u boat drowning
and bouncing bombs?

We were doomed form the start

We get it up for war
We play away and fuck the scores
Of spoils.
Spoils
and Sailor ports
the pillage in
Wild West forts
we build our bordellos grand
with gold plated profit
We catch disease
We Get it up for war

Man

And love that man
If nothing else
Screw him kill him rape him

Incarcerate

Photograph
Regurgitate
Roman shower room
guantanamo
Never changes
Mark him with your own water
A sport bizarre

But get it up for war

Vanilla days are long since dead
Your wife the memory
The needle and thread bare veins
Never appealed
Never made it rise:
Go on lad-
Get it up for war.

(for Max H)

◄ Please help me to glorify war

Everybody wants to be famous dont they? ►

Comments

Pete Crompton

Thu 13th Mar 2008 09:48

Thanks Matt.
the stories you tell, of those villages, horrific
I recall they made a documentary film about it - or at least one of the villages

horrible war

<Deleted User> (4346)

Mon 3rd Mar 2008 12:18

The site is not recognising the Croatian letters. The name of the village is Ahmici

<Deleted User> (4346)

Mon 3rd Mar 2008 12:15

Pete. I cannot thank you enough for such a detailed reply, I am truly humbled by your response. I hope I'm right in assuming that you were not offended by my points, I guess it's a strange thing as a writer when you almost always value criticism more than compliments, as a critical approach is a more honest one.

You were right to assume that i was refering to the last two war poems of yours, and not the last two poems, that was my mistake. My stay in the Balkans is more personal than professional, as my girlfriend is Croatian and lives out here at the moment, as an artist (you should look at her work: www.margareta.pondi.hr) However, I have met many interesting people with endless stories to tell. Since meeting her I have taken a keen interest to research the history of her area, as well as learn the language.
The wars which happened in Croatia and Bosnia were nothing short of horrific. They were almost exclusively targeted at civillians, and the phrase 'ethnic cleansing' was formed at this time. It is a direct translation from the Croatian phrase 'etni?ko ?iš?enje' One of the more famous stories was that of the Bosnian village Ahmi?i. Ahmi?i was invaded and the whole town literally burnt to the ground, with people still inside. It was discovered by a UN commander Lt Col Bob Stewart, (who I have had the pleasure of meeting on several occasions) and reported widely on the news. Ahmi?i however, was just a few kilometers from a UN base, there were many such villages which suffered a similar fate, but were in the middle of nowhere. Hence went undiscovered at the time. I read a story about a Serb soldier who gave an account to the Haugue, admitting he was ordered to kill one thousand civillians in a single day from a village. In the same village, all women/girls over the age of fourteen were raped before being killed.

I don't intend of inflicting a history lesson on anybody, but I thought it important to mention these point to give a brief insight to my feelings on this matter. What I have seen, heard and read has influenced me greatly, so much so that I intend to write my second novel about it. But I have to finish my first berfore I can start on that!

In response to your question about PTSD, I am familiar with that, and I am aware that the condition results from all manner of experiences and not just war. People can have personal conflicts which do not involve weapons or mass killings but have a simliar mental effect. I am however, somewhat ignorant to this area, having never suffered from it myself. My empathy of your situation has grown immensley since reading your response, as I now feel I know a little more about you.

Unfortunately I cannot write much more, as I am returning to England tomorrow morning, and need to get everything ready.

In conclusion though, I feel that your writing is extremely expressionist, possibley more so than many other poets on WOL. I am a big fan of expressionism in all forms of art. Poetry is indeed an artform, and the purpose of all art is to provoke a reaction. Your two war poems have sparked my reaction, and this conversation. Therefore, I feel they are already successful. Because it's awful to post up works which nobody comments on.

I will also read follow your work closely and I look forward to passing more comments and learning more about you.

Regards

Mat Rakowski

Pete Crompton

Mon 3rd Mar 2008 01:56

Hi Matt,
I took time to read about you and I think I understand a bit more. You have some interesting projects on the go!

Will keep an eye on your works

Pete

I think it was Steven Hawking who said communication was the key to survival.

Pete Crompton

Mon 3rd Mar 2008 01:33

Hi Matt,

Thank's for your feedback.
I would like to answer your questions if I may.

"Have you any experience of war?"
-
from this I presume you mean 'actual' experience.
The answer to that is NO

My experience of war comes from radio, books and TV.

It comes from documentaries like 'VITENAM REQUIEM' films such as 'Apocalypse Now' and books such as 'weapons of world war 3' , 'War Plan UK' , 'atomic weapons - principles'

My experience of war comes from a study and interest in war. This has included in my life field studies of battlefields, in particular the landing beaches of Utah, Omah. Field studies along the coastal defences of Western France, visits to ex airbases in UK, Studies of the UKs position in a nuclear war. I have a keen interest in 1st hand stories of troops / soldiers, and perhaps I would like to hear of your stories too.

"have I visited a war zone, current or past"

Just answered that above.

"have I ever met people my own age with only one leg because the other was taken off by a mine?" - you are 29 and you have.

er, No I haven't although in the documantery 'Vietnam Requiem' there are many many interviews with Vets who have appaling injuries, and the film is very raw. I really felt for anyone in this situation.

I am aware of pain.
Acutely so.

I feel others pain so often it hurts, Matt.
Do you know what I mean?

'your poem is incredibly well written'

thank you.

' being in the Balkans right now with the shadow of war around every corner, even thirteen years on, I've found your last two poems quite offensive and disturbing'

HMMM This is where I'm confused Matt.
First of all I'm sorry that I have offended you.
With which poems do you refer?
Do you mean the last two WAR poems, or literally the last 2 poems?

lest be logical and assume its the last 2 WAR poems.

first of all, I appreciate you are in the Balkans, I read all about it when you told us the first time.
Im in Southport, UK by the way.

I can appreciate there must be a lot of tension there.
The poem 'Get it up for war' SHOULD explain itself.
if you take everything in it literal I can see why it may offend, sometimes the meanings in my poems are not immediately apparent
The poem (and I hope I have conveyed this) underlines the darker driving forces of war. I felt I wanted to illustrate this as it interested me why men built such weapons and how the surface hides the sexual overtones of war, because there are many sexual overtones of war. If that offends, then I'm sorry, but I will write it as I feel it Matt.

Most of all I wish not to be blasé about War, I’m not that kind of person.

Lets deal with the second 'War' poem-
'please help me to Glorify War'

It is here that I think we may have one of the problems, read literal it could be seen as me wanting to make a film of war then add rock music.

It is not about me, it is a film based upon you tube film footage. Search you tube, have a look at the pathetic, disgusting war footage of IRAQ with rock music on! its tasteless and thats what I was trying to show. How the mind of youth had made no connection with the enormosity of the weapons and the indiscriminate killing. Do you know what I mean Matt?

It may well be ironic, and I have misinterpreted your actual words 'offensive / disturbing'
do you mean that they disturbed you inside, or are you actually meaning I distrubed you / offended you upon where you wish to read no further?

Please help! – I’m not sure how to take the comment! ?

I am against killing any living thing except in one on one self defence (and even that would be difficult to live with)

I do not seek to glorify war, but seek to expose the situation that glorify war. I am always anti war.

'I would love to read a poem of yours dealing with the EFFECT of war and not the cause'

both poems I have written do this to a degree, but I take that point and I am actually writing one at the moment based upon POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

are you familiar with the sysmptoms of PTSD Matt? Wondered if you had any first hand experience of it? Perhaps with the people you met?

I have.
many of us have - albeit not all war related, some violence or accident related.
one thing though,
we have ALL experienced our own pain. Whether
in this country or the Balkans. Whilst we cannot see yours, and you cannot see mine, never underestimate the power of empathy.

Empathy is a powerful and positive emotion, one that is capable of bridging many barriers.

Thank you very much for your comments.

and now I am interested in your life and work in the Balkans!

I hope one day we can talk about all of this.

Yours

Peter Crompton

<Deleted User> (4346)

Sun 2nd Mar 2008 23:02

Have you any experience of war? Have you ever visited a war zone, current or past? Have you ever met people your own age with only one leg, because the other was taken off by a mine? I'm 29 and I have. Your poem is incredibley well written, being in the Balkans right now with the shadow of war around every corner, even thirteen years on, I've found your last two poems quite offensive and disturbing. I would, however, love to read a poem of yours dealing with the affect of war, and not the cause.

Keep up the good writing.

Matt

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