Friday, March 10, 2017

110 Percent--By Gary Glauber--United States

110 Percent

Absolute certainty is dangerous.
Many powerful convictions
have led to convictions of another sort.
Fact: inflated notions reach limits
& burst, leaving us to tell stories,
pick up pieces, assess logic, & determine
how history shall convey it.
As such, we are all on trial.
Patriotic pride is no excuse
for irresponsible actions.
Language is only one barrier to overcome.
We train killing machines,
then act dismayed when one malfunctions.
War is hell. This oversimplified cliché
doesn’t begin to touch upon
intricate annoyances & horrors
that turn this absolute certainty
into someone’s absolute nightmare
in a blink of an eye,
the flash of a soldier’s weapon.

Gary Glauber is a poet, fiction writer, teacher, and former music journalist.  His works have received multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations. He champions the underdog to the melodic rhythms of obscure power pop. His collection, Small Consolations (Aldrich Press) is available through Amazon, as is a chapbook, Memory Marries Desire (Finishing Line Press). His next collection, Worth the Candle, is forthcoming from Five Oaks Press.

10 comments:

  1. Hi Gary, this a brilliant write. Noting the dangers of
    Absolute certainty, patriotic pride is no excuse for
    our irresponsible actions which leads to war, turning
    this absolute certainty into someone’s absolute
    nightmare. Excellent writing Gary. I hate war.
    Yancy

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    1. Thanks for your kind words, Yancy!

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    2. Your welcome Gary,
      I love the way you write.
      Yancy

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    3. Gary,
      I hate war, too, I wish there could be world peace. Maybe that can happen someday. It's doubtful, but maybe...Welcome to Whispers if you are new, a warm welcome from me even if you are not.
      Your new friend,
      David Fox

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    4. Thanks for reading, David. This is my second time here, but appreciate the warm welcome...

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  2. You know there's a saying...nationalism is just an excuse to hate other countries one knows nothing about...something on those lines...your poem is strong and hits all the right issues in contemplative lines. Great read!

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    1. Thanks, Sheikha - it's a very true saying, alas. Thanks for reading and enjoying this one.

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  3. Dear Gary,
    Thank you for this wise poem.
    Blessings,
    Michael

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    1. Thank you, Michael. And likewise, blessings to you.

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  4. "110 Percent" is a compelling social justice poem, deftly crafted. Congratulations to Gary Glauber.

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