The peacemakers collateral

The words in italics are taken
From the U.S. Operational Video Recording
The observers are you and me.

July 12, 2007

The 30mm cannon fire left about

a dozen people dead

two children, two journalists; all insurgent.

Some were armed, but all now

appear to be relaxed.

Before the cannon shell rained down

the ten were largely unknown;

fathers and sons, lovers and husbands.

The two were known as Saeed and Namir,

a journalist and a cameraman.

The children are still unknown

……for their own protection.

There is no question

that coalition forces, were

clearly engaged in combat operations

……against a hostile force,

the Lieutenant-Colonel said, and

all was in accordance with

rules of armed conflict, and rules

of engagement. The operation was videoed

encrypted, buried, then released again

…..despite the rules

But wait, there is more.

They keep walking, and

one of them has a weapon?

A camera examines a camera

and does not recognise itself,

the man decides.

Yeah Roger. I estimate
there’s probably about twenty
Oh yeah . . .
Hey Bushmaster element
copy on the one-six
that’s a weapon . . . yeah
Hotel two six: crazy horse one eight
fucking prick
have individuals with weapons
have five to six individuals
with AK 47’s
request permission to engage

The cross marked a centre on dust cloud

and men scattered

protecting their heads from 30mm cannon

with knuckles of bone as white as bleached skull.

Seven fell, one ran drunkenly

an out runner searching for base;

a cameraman

being searched, for the best shot

Keep shootn’, keep shootn’

He touches index against the shattered rubble

Keep shootin’

the cross searches him out, pokes him, then

interrupts a spasm with one final punch

nothing but silence and dust now,

and smoke.

Roger, I got ‘em
oops I’m sorry
God damn it Kyle
All right, ha ha ha I hit ‘em.
Bushmaster six this is bushmaster two six
got a bunch of bodies layin’ here
yeah we got one crawling around down there
but, uh you now, we definitely got something.
We’re shooting some more
Roger

The already deceased individuals got on with their dying

and do not respond

Rising spirits of dust erase what is seen

the only protection is illusion

so Saeed lies still.

Hotel two six you need to move
to that location when Crazy Horse is done
And get pictures, over, Six beacon Gaia
oh  yeah, look at those dead bastards
nice

Yeah bushmaster we have a van
that is approaching and picking up the bodies
  ok yeah
We have individuals going to the scene
Looks like . . .  possibly . . .  picking up weapons and uh bodies
Let me engage

Two children look up at the distant helicopter,

two men run to check Saeed.

help has arrived.

The adults are silent,

but the children have seen this all before,

so they watch the whirly bird and wonder

will it drop food, or messages, or death?

Crazy-horse Eighteen, permission to engage

Dada says stay in the van.

Come on let us shoot! Come on!

The Cross hovers hungrily

on Dada’s djellaba,

he is trying to straighten Saeed.

Bushmaster  crazyhorse One eight
They’re taking him. Roger.
 We’ve got a black SU . . .  uh bongo truck
 Request permission to engage.

The van shudders, the dust explodes

the shells rip from ceiling to road

Dada says stay in the van.

Clear

The van’s roof is unstitched

Clear

Dust and smoke obliterates, and

the Crusader’s cross hovers once more

frustrated and forever seeking, seeking

solidity lost, it is unable to deliver

its final blessing

Clear

Crazy horse is just a helicopter, and

its brain is made in neutral Ireland.

all the hard bits, that really hurt

are stamped: Made in the USA,

with Chinese steel.

The Cross is used to focus.

I can’t shoot for some reason
I think the van is disabled . . .  I can’t shoot
I got an azimuth limit
No more shooting . . . oh yeah look at that!
Straight through the wind shield
HA! HA! . . . twelve to fifteen.

Over.

The Original Video that led to the Poem