Much brave talk about a ceasefire,
And, a prelude for some peace,
Let troops stop and then retire.
That gentle dream a fulfilling desire,
Steel and smoke rest and decrease,
Much brave talk about a ceasefire.
Across the ruins comes the crier,
O’head the echelon of geese,
Uplifting as preaching from a friar.
Are we stuck in some quagmire,
A spot short-lived as a lease?
Much brave talk about a ceasefire.
A palmistry reading I might acquire,
For solutions it can release,
And, insist on another occupier?
So many words from the justifier,
Answers tick away on my time piece,
Much brave talk about a ceasefire,
Let troops stop and then retire.
Francis Conlon is a retired and recovering teacher. For the past 20 years, he has worked as a seasonal river ranger and boat inspector at Yampa River State Park in northwest Colorado. He has published in the local Valley Voice and in Westward Quarterly. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.