Villanelle Competition Entry: Thirteen

Corruption

The US front, the Taliban at odds?
The mainstream news would have us all believe
these men are crossing swords for righteous Gods.

The YouTube truth: the countless billion wads
of crooked greenback eager to relieve.
The US front, the Taliban at odds?

Afghanistan’s the heart, its oily rods
the reason for Obama to deceive;
these men are crossing swords for righteous Gods.

The clones in khaki guard the poppy clods;
a Nawzad farmer smokes, and rolls his sleeve.
The US front, the Taliban at odds?

The brother of Harmid Karzai throws nods
at CIA, whose unmarked planes haul “heave”;
these men are crossing swords for righteous Gods.

I’ll line them up before my firing squads
(not one to sit around and idly grieve).
The US front, the Taliban at odds?
These men are crossing swords for righteous Gods.

Stuart Barnes