Perfect World

In a perfect world,
frightened, young US Marines
do not throw grenades
into unknown Iraqi homes,
killing 2 year old Iraqi babies
along with their terrified Iraqi mothers,
as they try to shield them in their arms.

In a perfect world,
true justice does no harm
to the helpless and innocent,
in a perfect world;

heroes are perfect.

When does enough become enough?
When does truth overcome lies?
When do facts matter more than fiction?
When does spin and myths
give way to reality and dead Iraqi babies?

and yes;

there are always two sides to every story,
there is always more than meets the eye,
there are always underlying and mitigating factors
which cannot be adequately understood
unless you were actually there;

but still;

there are dead Iraqi babies,
along with dead Iraqi mothers,
and frightened, young US Marines
left holding on to memories and consciences,
reciting official company lines
and other man-made truths,
while wondering inside
how everything became so twisted and wrong;

in this almost
perfect world.
.
.