War of Words

Sometimes I take things literally.

                                                         War of Words


                                    The bombardment started early today
                                    with relatively gentle single shots:
                                    Misguided. Ignorant. Naïve.
                                    We went about our business as usual
                                    but hunkered down in our trenches
                                    when whole tight clusters of adjectives
                                    began to explode around us:
                                    Stupidfoolishblinddisloyal.
                                    Arrogantevilcowardlytraitorous.
                                    Soon the verbal barrage was worse than ever.
                                    All we could do was lob an occasional
                                    noun grenade in response:
                                   Freedom. Respect. Hope. Dignity.
                                   Our nerves were beginning to fray
                                   from the relentless attack.
                                   Finally, someone broke, jumped out
                                   of his bunker and began running
                                   toward the unseen enemy, screaming,
                                  “I can’t take it anymore!”
                                   That’s when the machine gun fire started
                                   Deaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddead.
                                  And we watched him do that jagged
                                  dance and then crumple,
                                  horribly modified.