PYRAMIDS

Every world-class tyrant
should have himself

a pyramid of skulls
if he is to be worthy

of the tradition that includes
Genghis Khan and quite

a long list of successors,
Hitler, Stalin, and Saddam

among them. And after
he has enough skulls

for his pyramid he should
stop the collecting.

But knowing when to stop
requires wisdom rarely

found in those addicted to war.
And not even the U.N. demands it.

Copyright 2004 by David Ray

From "The Death of Sardanapalus & Other Poems of the Iraq Wars" by David Ray which is available at
www.howlingdogpress.com