Perfect World

in a perfect world,

frightened young 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 Marines,

left holding on to memories and conscience,

reciting official company lines,

wondering inside how everything became

so twisted and wrong;

in this almost

perfect world.

.

.