The Big Men

by Stephen Gospage

Tuesday 6th September 2022 7:02 am

The Big Men limber up for war,

Showing off their guns and rockets;

The Big Men strut around the town,

Looted cash stuffed in their pockets.

The Big Men are toning their muscles,

To beat their captives into shape;

The Big Men snigger at reports

Of instances of wartime rape.

The Big Men hide behind the lines,

To dodge the other side’s attack;

The Big Men’s pastime is to shoot

Unarmed citizens in the back.

The Big Men terrorise the place,

They blow up hospitals and schools;

The Big Men shift the blame for deaths,

And try to take the world for fools.

The Big Men crash and fall to earth,

As even Big Men one day must,

And at this moment they will learn

They are no bigger than the dust.

Comments

Stephen Gospage

Thu 8th Sep 2022 09:23

Thank you, Graham and Keith, for your generous comments. Yes, it's true that those who are responsible for wars rarely run much personal risk, especially if the war is a long way away. Which is why such people have to somehow be held to account, as you say, Keith.
The Soviet Union was a very brutal place, but I think it is fair to say that its leaders felt that their sacrifices and suffering in WW2 (however they came about) were never properly recognised by the West.
None of which excuses what is happening now, as Greg says.

Thanks once again to all for the comments.

And thanks to Stephen and Holden for adding their likes.

Graham Sherwood

Tue 6th Sep 2022 22:45

"not all of them carry guns and get their hands dirty".

On the contrary Stephen, I don't think any of them they ever did?

One of your finest, well done, good work!

G

keith jeffries

Tue 6th Sep 2022 22:19

A clear statement that those behind the scenes are those ultimately responsible for war and its conduct. The Russian casualties under Stalin were horrific but to what extent were these appalling rates of dead and wounded attributable to the incompetence of senior military figures as we now see with the Russian Army in Ukraine. It would be wrong to assume that the number of casualties during the last war was due solely to heroism and self sacrifice. Putin is a dictator and serial killer who has others to do his dirty work for him. Those at the top in war are those we should point the finger at. Hence Nuremberg. An excellent poem Stephen.
Thanks
Keith

Stephen Gospage

Tue 6th Sep 2022 21:50

Thanks, John. I hope that the poem hints that Big Men come in many forms and not all of them carry guns and get their hands dirty.

This sounds fascinating, Greg. I will try to view it. Yes, the casualties on the USSR side were truly horrific.

And thanks to Frederick, Flyntland and Rudyard.

Greg Freeman

Tue 6th Sep 2022 08:49

Last night I watched two episodes of World War II Behind Closed Doors, recounting the unravelling of the West's relations with Stalin as the second world war neared its close, and as the Soviet Union's intentions towards Poland and the rest of 'liberated' eastern Europe became clear. The chilling behaviour of Stalin towards former political allies and heroes of the war who he became jealous of, and the way he dealt with the democratic leaders of eastern European countries. A psychopath, just as Putin is now. But one fact brought you up short, although it excuses nothing: the huge disparity in casualties that Britain and the US suffered in that war, and the losses suffered in the Soviet Union. Total deaths, military and civilian, in the UK and US amounted to 800,000. In the Soviet Union it was up to 27 million.

John Botterill

Tue 6th Sep 2022 08:35

Powerful and accurate,, Stephen. Spot on. 👍

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The Big Men

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