by Heidi Greco
1.
once upon a time there was a war that didn’t happen
even though a president had told the world it would
even though the generals were waiting in the wings
even though the ships had sailed and parked out in the bays
the planes lined up in rows along their decks
even though the soldiers had all kissed their wives goodbye
told their sons to be brave little men told their mothers to understand
patted their buddies on the back shown off their new eagle tattoos
even though all of the bullets had long been packed up and delivered
some of them waiting safe within the darkness of the guns
bearing the promise of death for someone hoping to fall asleep
even though the rockets were ready to fly their way through the night
already painted with names on their sides scrawls of graffiti for dying
Rice Burner Baby-Face
Turban-ator Swish
2.
once upon a time there was a war that didn’t happen
all because the people decided to stop believing in fear
even though the news kept listing things to worry about
anthrax and smallpox and probably even largepox
oodles of unnamed weapons of untold massive scale destruction
even though the size of the stakes kept mounting along with the warnings
intensity of colours cranking steady as a jack
yellow orange fuchsia who knew what vision they’d dream up next
even though the tv ads showed blurry sepia prints
nostalgic as your grandma’s album Saturdays in the rain
all they were selling was pre-emptive strikes along with a new SUV
even though the boss at work still told such lousy jokes
always made you wonder if it was worth it to have to laugh
question yourself how badly you really needed to keep your job
3.
once upon a time there was a war that didn’t happen
all because the people began living their lives in peace
even if they didn’t much like that guy from down the hall
who always left his boots by the door both wintertime and summer
the ones you’d nearly trip on every time you came in late
even if that kid upstairs practised his trumpet too loud and too long
and didn’t ever seem to get the notes exactly right
especially when you recognized the tune he was trying to play
even if your mother would tell the same embarrassing story
every time she came to your place and downed a couple of drinks
even if everyone else’s kids were badly-behaved and rude
didn’t say please or thank you enough didn’t bother to comb their hair
even if everyone else in the world occupied too much space
burping and farting and wiping their noses or worse yet not wiping at all
even if everyone didn’t all suddenly burst out into song
even if everything didn’t turn out to be sunshine and wine
and even if everyone didn’t all live quite happily ever after
this time at least they all lived
