ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Just in case this poem's intent is misinterpreted, I assure all that I wrote it in defence of our brave soldier boys...and with empathy for their mothers...and my Grandmother.


‘CERTIFICATES TO MOUNT’ © 2010 Glenny Palmer


A mother gazes mutely from a humble oval frame;
a father standing staunchly by her side does much the same.
Across a room bedecked with shameless platitudes sublime,
two sons of war gaze proudly back, in uniforms of crime.

Two sons so keen & ready to defend our country’s shores,
two sons beguiled by despots fuelling fiscal gain through wars;
just fodder for Gallipoli, just seen as no account,
and granted for their legacy?...certificates to mount.

I ache for Grandma gazing from that oval picture frame,
and see within my Grandad’s eyes presumption of the shame
that banished each dear son to blood soaked clay of foreign wild,
and banished ever more, the right to see, to hold their child.

And yet another mother smiles within a gilded frame;
her son, in pin striped suit’s success, beside her smiles the same.
Across a room bedecked with priceless artefacts, ill won,
sublime in moral ignorance, she sees and holds her son…

…her son, who rose to Presidency, oils the war machine
while thumping on the dais, ‘’…terrorism is obscene.’’
And all his human cattle don his uniforms of crime,
while he invests with confidence in terrorism’s mime.

Big bankers and big business…the five percent that rules
the power gods dictating a ‘democracy’ of fools,
while we, the ninety five percent, are forging on the tread
to turn their wheels with honest sweat, to keep their fodder fed.

And now this mother’s weeping on a wooden picture frame.
My son of war smiles proudly back entirely free of blame,
just fodder for Afghanistan, just seen as no account
by despots; and his legacy?... certificates to mount.

My God - the patriotic flag was flying this year with our mob Glenny - this is great

I love the 'human cattle' line - and the 5 percent who send the 95 percent to fight the battles - made me think of our live cattle export market...not a lot of difference with the end result at the end of the day. I am just glad that our men and women are coming home at Christmas time. Like you I suspect, I have always considered that if we continue to supply the 'fodder' for the war machines then it will continue to devour it.

Very much enjoyed reading this excellent poem - Thank you.

Cheers

Maureen

Many thanks Maureen.
The poem sprang to life when I was looking at my Grandmother & Grandfather's wedding pic...in the typical oval framed, bow glassed presentation of the time. I suddenly realised I had inadvertently hung the two ''Honour The Brave'' certificates for their two sons, lost in the war, on the wall directly opposite them....and that in effect they were gazing at each other...parents & sons. Even as a little girl I was distressed whenever I saw one of our war monuments with the brave soldier standing on top.

The poem won a comp in Victoria some years back & I was delighted at that acknowledgement (in my mind. Lol) of my family.

Thanks again for your kind words.
xx Glenny