The Drum
I hate that drum’s discordant sound,
Parading round, and round, and round:
To thoughtless youth it pleasure yields,
And lures from cities and from fields,
To sell their liberty for charms
Of tawdry lace, and glittering arms;
And when Ambition’s voice commands,
To March, and fight, and fall, in foreign lands.
I hate that drum’s discordant sound,
Parading round, and round, and round:
To me it talks of ravaged plains,
And burning towns, and ruined swains,
And mangled limbs, and dying groans,
And widows’ tears, and orphans’ moans;
And all the Misery’s hand bestows,
To fill the catalogue of human woes.
John Scott of Amwell (1730-1793)
Four years ago this month, when we were heading to the beaches or mountains, or just chilling at home, as is the norm during August in Europe, I wrote a post Vacationing Without Vacating: an imperative for reflecting on the Blood Telegram. My point was to remind us that even while vacationing, we should be mindful of the plight of others less fortunate. Back then the events against the Rohingya in the Rakhine State of Myanmar were headline news, but so were the events in Syria and elsewhere.
We look forward (and deservedly so) to a bit of respite from thinking of such events as we try to recharge our batteries with some of our favorite pastimes – be it visiting places, exploring new hobbies, or simply indulging in reading a good book, preferably one that entertains – and to a vacation that affords the mind a leave of absence from the grind at work, from the daily chores, and from the pressures that come with being responsible adults. Who wants to think about killings, rapes, forcible transfers, deportations, ethnic cleansing, and all the human misery that wars, conflicts, and acts of terror bring? We are not asking for much – just to vacate while vacationing.
Yet war, conflict, terror, and human atrocities don’t take a holiday. Continue reading “THINKING OF WAR WHILE VACATING: a book review series “