Neighbor Before Nation (Sonnet) – Abhijit Naskar, Iftar-e Insaniyat: The First Supper (First Sonnet Drop)

Death of soldiers is PR goldmine for
nationalist nutters, no matter the side,
because it gives them the appetizing
ammunition to sell some more fear,

some more prejudice,
some more fanatic tribalism,
neighbor fighting neighbor,
all wrapped in cute pills of patriotism –

which ultimately manufactures
some more orphans, some more widows,
some more elderly who lose their hope.

Trenches don’t have a right side and wrong side,
they only have one side, the side of dogma and lies.
Asses to asses, cheek to cheek, apes laud the apes,
declaring true apehood through their half-open flies.