War and Games

The room was filled with nervous yet enthusiastic sixteen-year-old faces
Starring intently at the computer projections on the wall-sized screen
Showing the path toward their college adventures
Toward their glorious glorified educational futures

Soon they will be home ensconced in their electronic laden rooms
Playing Nintendo war games where the buildings are demolished
Where the bodies are torn apart and the blood is splashed endlessly
Until the game is reset and all is as it was

Elsewhere a room is filled with nervous unenthusiastic slightly older faces
Starring intently at the computer projections on a wall-sized screen
Showing the computer-line paths of the missiles guided
Toward their unaware targets with soon to be terminated futures.

After their shifts they will be home in the company of wives and children
Leaving behind their real war modified-Nintendo controls
The game-like pictures where buildings are demolished
Where bodies are torn apart and blood is splashed endlessly
But there is no reset and all will never be as it was.


This entry was based on a presentation at my son's school and an NPR story about fighting wars with computer technology.