Nation, Flag and War

by Paul Laughlin

When the state affirms an anniversary
Or sanctions a centenary
It speaks of sacrifice and legacy
What they must mean for you and me
But who are the banners unfurled for
If the rich stay rich, the poor stay poor
And all the old lies still obscure
The truth of every wretched war
What remains of our best aspirations
Nurtured over the generations
Has every promise been made good
Each pledge in turn again renewed
Or long since ceased to resonate
Within the queues at the departure gate
And countless days now stand as the
Anniversary of some exercise in futility
That may serve somehow as a victory
If no one asks what we’re cheering for
While the rich stay rich, the poor stay poor
And all the old lies still endure
In nation, flag and war

This poem first appeared in the anthology, The Children of the Nation edited by Jenny Farrell

Paul Laughlin is a poet from Derry who writes in Irish and English. His poetry has appeared in Cyphers, Comhar, Field Day Review, The Stony Thursday Book, Prairie Schooner and elsewhere. His collection Conflict Studies, New and Selected Poems is published by Lapwing Press.