November 30: As if Playing

 Look at them all, 

as if the children they were,

scheming and playing

all in the yard.

All in the yard, they stay

young men, and

dreaming

of a time when the lessons

weren't so hard.

The world is a yard

by a foot and half, 

a map on which 

they blueprint their 

moves

as if building war engines

from blocks to be 

used in a yard where 

some are armed with bullets

and others with sneers

and rocks. 

They go to it as if playing.

Playing, as some play asleep

and some play awake. 

The tin-can telegraphy of 

war plans ignored

because another game

seems to have more reward:

it could happen and has.

Too sadly I'm saying that

lives like broken toys

were lost

while the grown-ups

were playing.