hagiography for a war criminal

Poetry

they said the general is dead

We said good.

they said how dare we speak that way of a man of great deeds, a man with accolades and prestige, sworn loyal to the nation’s creed

We shrugged.

they called him politician, diplomat, statesman. their voice shrieked from the screens: we are the news! who are you?

We called him war criminal, liar, murderer, tool.

Our voice blossomed from the soil: we are the culture, we are the truth. And we are not your fools.