ManicDDaily

Engagement (New Baghdad, July 12 2007)

Sad and horrifying video posted on Wikileaks.org about two Reuters employees (a photographer, Namir Noor-Eldeen, and his driver, Saeed Chmagh) killed  in a raid by two Apache helicopters on an Iraqi neighborhood, New Baghdad.   It’s a video that makes one really very very sad for all involved.

In keeping with my National Poetry Month commitment, here’s a poem draft for the day;  sorry that it doesn’t really do justice to its subject.

Engaged (New Baghdad, July 12, 2007)

Static static beep beep.
Static.
Cross crosses blurred grey screen.
“There’s more that keep walking by and one of them
has a weapon.” (Camera.)
“Look at all those people.”
“Fucking prick.”
“There’s a weapon.”  (Camera)
“Five or six with AK47s.”
The men on the screen, as grainy as the dust at their feet,
walk without concern, awareness,
right through the crossed sight, some together, some not;
two hold dark bags (cameras); two more, it seems, do hold something long,
rifle-like, points down.
“Request permission to engage.”
“Roger that.”
“Keep shoot’n…
keep shoot’n….
keep shoot’n.”
“We’ve just engaged eight individuals.”
“Dead Bastards.”
“Nice….
Nice.”
“Good shoot’n.”
“Thank you.”
Static.
“One individual appears to be wounded, crawlin’ away.”
Static.
“Come on Buddy.  All you gotta do is pick up a weapon.”