Soldiers, don’t die for empire,

Don’t die for nasty deeds

your leaders won’t have their own sons and daughters do.

Don’t be deceived–don’t go.

Soldiers, don’t give your only life

for the lies of liars,

They just want their profits,

Dead bodies don’t deter.

Soldiers don’t be used

to kill the enemies that are not yours.

See instead what your leaders have done

to manufacture all these enemies.

Soldiers, don’t die for empire.

Instead, live to unmake enemies.

Long before Mohammed, Jesus and Moses,

Empires have been creating enemies.

It is their work, it is their greed

Don’t make it yours,

Don’t die for empire.

(c) Richard Greve, 2014