Wintering

Foldable

The portable, barbaric gods of tents and tabernacles -
who always did preach smiting as the only way -
never had but a xenophobic heart, only a smile for in -
have moved into the mobile phones and line the web;

they lie in holds, shipments of guns and ammo boxes,
in improvised devices, conjured from a shopping-list,
designate the time and place of martyrdoms;
and thus does pitiless tragedy splash crimson streets.

The West prepared their pawns of radicalized devotees
(USA, and co., sowed the wind for decades - Afghanistan,* Iraq -
Palestine and Arab Spring neglected, Syria left to burn)

but They know what They want; death's monochrome,
year zero, destruction of culture and history,
to stone women in stadiums, pulverize the Buddha.

Beards cannot hide the cynical sneers that own them:
let no one imagine appeasement will slow them.

........................

*In the case of Afghanistan I don't mean the struggle against the Taliban but the incredibly foolish funding of the Mujahdiheen and sponsorship of Osama Bin Laden by US against the then USSR's occupation.

Again I would like to stress that this is not anti-Muslim just anti inhumane extremists. Yes, I do find nearly all books of faith to be rooted in barbaric pasts - to equalize my condemnation by all and sundry: the Old Testament has plenty of crappy moments all round - sod Leviticus, mate; the New Testament too does not wipe itself clean of deep sexism and anti life especially through Saul/Paul and also Gnostic influences. The earlier Hindu Myths are full of cruelties and the Indian caste system is an appalling legacy of older dogmas. So there you are. Attitudes evolve. The meaning of life is as all Pythonists like myself know : " "Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations". Er... maybe I fail.