by Camillo Mac Bica
Many march to remember, others to forget.
But for those who truly know war,
no parade is necessary to remind us,
as the memories and the faces of the dead and the dying
are with us each day of our lives.
Nor does marching in a parade
enable us to put to rest the turmoil
of a life interrupted and devastated by war
. . . or to forget the dying and the killing.
Parades accomplish nothing
save to allow those who make war easily
or ignore completely its insanity and horror
to feign support and appreciation
and to relieve their collective guilt
for their complicity and support
for immoral war and crimes against humanity.
Marching in a parade
neither educates nor informs.
Rather it celebrates and perpetuates
the myth of honor and glory,
and “The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.”
. . . I will march no more.
