The Dark Days

Twenty for one - Behind the poem

I like to say that if song (poem) is not clear enough, it's writers fault for not writing it right.
 I still don't consider myself ''pro'' so lots of explaining is in order if you want to get to know the true idea behind it.

I write my poems (though in this case it turned out to be a song) ''On topic'', so when something's really bugging me, I decide to make a poem about it, make it rhyme so to speak.

In this case,

I've been inspired by a movie ''Saving Private Ryan'' in which Tom Hanks has a monologue about his reasons for being in war where he says that for every 1 soldier he kills in war, he's saving 20 lives at home. So I've made a poem about it, representing it as ''a game''. Announcer (I imagined him being circus promoter, like some sort of clown) looks a lot like clown I've put in media.

Twenty for one

1)

-This one is cheerful, I imagine promoter gathering people at city square promoting a show.

Ladies and gentleman
Let's play a game!
Twenty for one
That is it's name


-Still cheerful, oh, and there's also assistant which is distributing flyers
2)
Divide in two teams
Grab weapons and aim
'Cuz if u kill one
Twenty you'll gain
*The banality with which he's saying ''Twenty for one'' should be prominent here, bcs in his mind it's a game

3.)
-In this one, women and children dressed in Victorian period like clothes are hiding in rows while promoter is walking beside them commenting

Look for red crosses
Resemblance to Hitler's swastika symbol

Don't shoot, just take aim
Promoter whispers into kids ear

Wait for best moment
Inflict more pain

-Strong male voices, pirate-chorus like.

4.) On top of a pile of earth, like 2-3 meeter in height, promoter wants to inspire the participants so he shouts
Protect our nation
Our kids and your name
*Implying that to do so is his/her duty
Fight for our freedom
Our pride and our fame
-Here is the reality behind promoters words (song), that he is inspiring them for his own selfish reasons, and he adds word our, making it look like it's a shared effort.

5.) This is a theater scene. Imagine it with stage being set in dark and big reflector focusing on promoter who's quiet and a bit more slow (to make it more significant). His goal is for it to seem as if he's sad just by thinking about it.
And if you don't make it
How tragic, oh pain!
*He says tragic slowly, and pain a bit louder

We will remember
Have a toast in your name
Chorus sings
By ''have a toast in your name'' part, It meant that they would appreciate them by having a toast, but once that toast is finished, they will no longer have any obligation to remember him/her and they won't.

6.) Finally, in last verses, promoter's friends (world leaders) sit by a table eager to see how ''game'' will progress

So what do you say?
Take guns and aim!
*Promoter says energetically while approaching the table,

Cuz our game just started
War is it's name.
*Chorus sing and promoter joins his friends at the table while they're having a feast and enjoy the show