Have We Become A Media Mind

Last night I attended a Poetry Society of N.H. public reading, War and Remembrance, at the University of N.H. with Paul Nichols, best friend, Vietnam combat veteran, and one of the featured poets. The poems read vividly depicted the brutality, immorality, and soul-sucking destructiveness of War–along with addressing the causes of this abomination.

I was particularly struck by the words of Burkhard Hoene who died in 2006 at the age of 46.  Some of his poetic journal entries were poignantly read by his brother last night from the Poetry Society's anthology, The Other Side of Sorrow.  An excerpt from his poem, what package is this? accompanies  my photographs below:

just who are we when we become

a media mind?

what is it that builds the power

of a such a country as ours?

similar resources, similar

television, similar people,

similar topography.

yet we have become the 

cause and barometer of how 

the world feels a about itself.

Is this an open society?

What is an open society

when it behaves as we do?

what values do we accept

and what values do we

impose on ourselves?

what values do we impose on others?

can we remain

indifferent?

can the blind remain

indifferent?

forgive them for

they know not what they do