NVN Saturday: DISARMCHAIR
by David Rudd-Mitchell
AI-generated graphic for The New Verse News by Shutterstock
*
DisArmchair Linguists While body counts are unconfirmed, They view how breaking news is termed. DisArmchair Activists The blood is fresh, And there’s no pause Before the next post for their cause. DisArmchair Optimists They hope that soon the war will cease, And this will lead to lasting peace. DisArmchair Hypocrites They hate the hypocrites who stride, To only see the other side, Armchair Apologists Water cut off, city bombed, They say, “It’s how they must respond.” Armchair Fascists Cut all the power, cut off the phones, Stop all the schooling, crush all the homes. Close off the border, block every route, Stop all the bombing, then start to shoot. DisArmchair NeoNihilists Watching from a safe retreat, These optimists admit defeat. DisArmchair Poet A poem of protest, angry tweets, And yet our history Still repeats. Reformed DisArmchair Poet Words are precious, In their way, But it’s time to join the march —and pray.
*
David Rudd-Mitchell is an occasional poet who has had work published in zines, magazines, two shared chapbooks and anthologies.