Lobal Warman
D'a-lal (bronze, 1929) by Harold Cash
photo by Jesus Crisis outside the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga on 13 July 2007
I sit in bed
My head awander
And wonder
What if?...
What if war were a woman?
Would she wage herself weak
And warped
Or work to be worthy of a new name
Like Nadia
Russian for hope
And nurture her née name into nada
Never to return?
Would we wee men still burn?
And if war were a woman
Would she even exist?
And how then
Would we wee men survive
To be pissed?
[poem by Jesus Crisis, 21 June 2008]
Posted by Jesus Crisis at 6/21/2008 10:29 AM 
Categories: Art and Photography, Poetry by JC, Travel and Places
Categories: Art and Photography, Poetry by JC, Travel and Places
Note: Those of you who received this blog via e-mail subscription received an unfinished version of the poem. I've since fixed it here.
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[3/14/2009: I just added a line to improve this poem from its Bloggerel version.
Here, then, is the new, final, authorized version. -JC]
Lobal Warman
I sit in bed
My head awander
And wonder
What if?...
What if war were a woman?
Would she wage herself weak
And warped
Or work to be worthy of a new name
Like Nadia
Russian for hope
And nurture her née name into nada
Never to return?
Would we wee men still burn?
And if war were a woman
Would she even exist?
And if not
How then
Would we wee men survive
To be pissed?
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Ah, my lord Crisis, and that's a fine poem for the first full day of Summer... Happy Solstice to you, by the way! The Minister really likes this one, with all the twisty-turny little word plays, and the final rhyme: exist/pissed-- genius! And of course, the sentiment is right up the Church's alley, peace being one of our main interests. Congrats on another fine poem to add to your reading arsenal! (P.S. And, really, The Minister didn't visit your site just to see the nude-- LOL!)
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I always greatly appreciate your kind comments, Sir Minister!
I took that photo the same time I took the one of Leonard Baskin's Prodigal Son, which I posted in a blog back in December 2007.
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Very cool poem! & the picture is pretty neat too
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Thank you, Angela!
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good thought - but remember, when women have ruled countries, they're just as mean and crooked and murderous and spiteful as the men that preceeded them - a la golda meir and margret thatcher. it's not the sex, it's the power that corrupts.
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You may be right... why does Lady Macbeth come to my mind?
Or maybe it's just the type of women (like the type of men) who are attracted to those jobs and who are able to reach that level.
I can't be certain. But I agree that power is one hell of a corruptor.
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Loved it! smith is right, it's the power that corrupts. It's one of the 7 deadly.
But I think most women are peace loving, and can talk things out.
Off to work now...
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It seems to me that a higher percentage of women are peace loving than men. But Smith has me thinking... what if women had the power men have and men didn't. Would it be the other way around? Or does biology play a role... e.g. testosterone level? Even women have testoterone, I think... but some have higher levels of it than other women and generally men have higher levels of it than women.
Barbara Ehrenreich goes into a lot of the possible reasons for war and discusses whether it's more a man business than a woman business in her book Blood Rites, which I had to read in 2004-5 for a "Psychology of War" course I took through Ohio University's independent study program. Well worth reading....
If anyone's interested:
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JC, If war were a woman
Then it would be WOE MEN!!
Those Amazons weren't a river
Nor even the bookstore you love
They really did make
Men into Nadas
Please don't be pissed,
They didn't survive..
The statue and poem crack me up. LOL
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Whoa, man!
I contemplated how to reconcile the Amazons with this as I wrote it. To me, though, they seem almost mythological. I simply didn't know enough about them to credibly consider them. Then again, I did consider them, I suppose... which is why I made the whole poem a series of questions instead of conclusions.
Thanks for your comment, Elena!
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Would have enjoyed reading that even WITHOUT the nude sculpture. On the other hand, might not have come to see.
Sometimes it pays to pimp a little.
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LOL... thanks, Jens!
I admire your honesty.
Good thing it wasn't a male nude. I might never have gotten you back here.
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Love the poem....
But I would tend to think there would be no war if war were a woman.. not a leader of a country... because that is the analogy you used not as the other construe.
Women don't have time for such nonsense...LOL.. in general. Women are too nurturing to want to waste their time blowing things up... unless it is a day they have PMS big time... LOL..
Then it would be different... I think the world would be in danger then..
Is this the poem you had to change at one of the last readings to not offend anyones sensibilities about being pissed?? Or is this hot off the tip of the pen?
Just curious....
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Thanks Chris. I like the points you've made. Maybe not all women "are too nurturing to want to waste their time blowing things up." But I like to think most are. Hopefully, that wouldn't change if they were given significant power. But one never knows.
This poem was "hot off the tip of the pen." The poem I changed at the Strongsville reading was John Cage Engaged and Uncaged, which also featured "pissed." I seem to be pissed a lot more than usual lately... lol.
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I like the pink sky and flowers in the naked statue foto. The municipalism of the foto seems surreal.
Like the word play and sounds in the poem - think it's a tight poem with an interesting query.
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Thank you, Lady!
I've been inspired by you and Smith to use more of my own photos in blogs, rather than relying on Photobucket and so on for images all the time. This sculpture's pose struck me as one of part surrender and part assertion - the woman seems bold and confident, yet not at all aggressive.
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It seems to me, and I know this is sexist, but women in general are more conservative about sending their's or anyone else's chldren into war.
Anyone else notice this throughout history?
Civil War, WWI, Vietnam....there were large, vocal groups of women against each one.
Gorgeous statue, cool poem.
Hugs,
Suzie
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So it seems to me. Would that change if women were the ones in power? I don't know. Hope not.... Generally speaking, women seem to have invested more time and soul into our children then men have. Women carry them for 9 months or so, nurse them, do most of the diaper changing et cetera.... If men carried children in their wombs, maybe they'd be a bit more conservative about sending anybody's children into war - especially over some bull shit like Saddam Hussein's alleged "weapons of mass destruction."
Thanks, Suzie!
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War is someone's passion, evil as it is. So I'm sure it could be the metaphorical woman. Worth dying for. Worth killing for. But most people aren't quite that passionate. And most women (I hope) wouldn't demand it....
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Very interesting perspective, Terese! It makes me think we could say the same about religion. Hmm... you've got me thinking in all sorts of directions now.
Thank you!
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http://poetrypoem.com/cgi-bin/index.pl?sitename=charlaxici&item=home&password=
new website TITLES
fabels is done
TITLES is still poetry PROSE
CharlaX StYle
hehehehhehehehehe
[IMG]http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc48/charlaxici/Saturday/thdisplayimage-2.jpg[/IMG] the statue is still there WITH the feather now
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this link did not open so you can say its the one WITH the feather AHHAHAHA
oooops
eye always have WAY too much fun on someone elses nickel
thanzkxxxx YEW
www.poetrypoem.com/charlax is home page
everything works but one website now
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Sometimes I wish the replies to comments came directly after the comment and not six or eight comments below the reply. Does that make sense? Or am I just another addle brained female? Is this blog turning into a sexist or non-sexist blog? I am tired of the politics and the Hillary haters and the Hillary lovers and the whole stupid mess we have just gone through. You either think the woman is capable of governing or not and it has absolutely nothing to do with her ovaries. And as far as Obama is concerned he is half white which makes him black? Whoa there everybody. Judge people for their capabilities and their brains and abilities not their sex or race or who their daddy or husband or war experience was.
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Amen!!
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ewe may be confused by the indian
the one with the blue shirt is mee
CharlaXJesus im just a friend and a fellow blogger please dont be upset im sure its okay to reply anywhere as long as its relevant to Jesus Crisus somehow
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It's all good. I think all the comments go together in a way anyway... like a rich and complex tapestry of commentary.
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http://poetrypoem.com/cgi-bin/index.pl?sitename=charlaxici&item=home&password=
new website TITLES
fabels is done
TITLES is still poetry PROSE
CharlaX StYle
hehehehhehehehehe
the statue is still there WITH the feather now
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Fascinating sculpture! I hope you don't mind that I went ahead and embedded your photo in your comment.
And you are quite prolific on the poetry sites. Keep creating, my friend!
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Abraham Lincoln said, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." I think that this is equally true of women. Historically women have generally not been in a position to declare war, but they have been in a position to influence the men making war and have been known to approve of making war when it improves their own position and that of their children. It is always flattering to be thought of as the more thoughtful, compassionate sex, but I do not think that the drives for domination, power and wealth are exculsive to the male sex. Women can be equally treacherous and lethal. It's a human condition. I think that the argument could be made that men enjoy the processes of war more than women. My friend poses the argument that men get a sexual charge from killing, that men feel that the act of war is an expression of their masculinity and feeds their desire for violent conflict. I think the variation between men and women is probably that women desire the results, the power, the domination while men get satisfaction from the act of aggression as well as the resulting weath and power.
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The problem is that there are some men who act more like women and are almost defenseless, and some women who compete in physical sports and even war better than some men. Now a lot more women are in Iraq than there were in Vietnam. The lines are not so finely drawn any more. Maybe it is a gender gap but more likely it is a generational gap. Times change and cultures also. Those little old high buttoned shoe ladies of the Victorian era have long gone into memory. But I got my laughs reading Maureen Doud's observations in her book
"Are Men Necessary?" I quote her, "Feminism lasted for a nanosecond and generated a gender tangle that has bewitched, bothered and bewildered men and women for forty years." So stop whining about the curmudgeons of this world, girls. Just get a bright red dress and high heel shoes and wear lipstick and don't worry about war. It's a man's world after all, (or is it?)
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LOL... Thanks, Elena and Tara! You both make some very good points...
Tara... The character of Lady Macbeth, who fits your description in a perhaps extreme sense, came to mind when I read your comment, as it did when I read Smith's earlier. There are women like that. Maybe there would be more if more women had more power.
This is a somewhat imperfect analogy, but here goes....
I am more a fighter now than I ever was in prison. I bitch more, I complain more, and I express anger more than I ever did in prison. It's still a small part of who I am - but this is a fact. And I've spent a lot of time contemplating why. Perhaps it is partly because it did no good to fight for anything or complain about anything in prison. It only made matters worse. And it might piss off staff or other inmates - which could lead to repression, harm to me, et cetera. Out here, however, I feel I can accomplish more by fighting for certain things. So I do it. I might get somewhere by complaining, bitching, ranting. I have a bit more "power," in a sense. perhaps it is just that I feel freer to be human, without fear of unreasonable negative consequences. I can cry more, too... or laugh. Maybe I would have done all those things more in prison, if I'd been the biggest, strongest, most "powerful" guy in the cell block.
Just food for thought....
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John and Elena, I'm going to try and respond to you both, because you both make excellent points. I think that there are many reasons why women are more active in the military. Certainly the women's liberation has a great deal to do with that. During WWII I think that women proved that we are every bit as capable as men and mentally we are equally strong. Women took over all of the men's responsibilities, working outside the home, head of household, when the men were off to war. Also, with the technological advances in modern warfare, sheer physical force is not the main tool for fighting. Intelligence and mental and emotional endurance are more important at this point than upper body strength. John, I think that your emotional intelligence guided your behavior while you were in prison. As you pointed out getting angry, aggressive or complaining yielded negative results. I would guess that the prison experience is very much a synthetic situation. It has no basis in reality. You have a few guards controlling larger prison population without weapons, but with various psychological manipulations. Inmates are in a constant struggle to survive in the environment. The prison system does not seem to consider the welfare of the prisoner. I know that this is changing, but I fear that it is not changing fast enough. Adjusting to life as a free individual after having to adjust to the prison culture is proving to be a daunting task that some accomplish with more success than others. I am so glad that you are one of the successes, since you never should have been there in the first place. I recently watched a program about a man who was released from prison after serving 18 years for a crime he did not commit. He had no experience with computers, cell phones, automated teller machines and so much more. He pumped his own gas with difficulty because he had no experience with the swipe a card technology. He said that he was stuck in another era and that the world had moved forward him. He was very frustrated with trying to do what for the rest of us are the most mundane tasks. It certainly does not benefit society when the system does not consider that prisoners need to be prepared to re-enter society once they have completed their sentences. Society is much better served when the prison system puts programs in place which foster rehabilitation and re-entry into society. You could write a blog or a book about that. But back to the topic, I was thinking of Lady Macbeth and the real medieval queens when I wrote this comment. Your analogy was very relevant. People do what works. They achieve their goals by whatever means available and necessary.
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Thank you, Tara! I very much appreciate your on-point contributions to this discussion. I'm too sleepy to respond intelligently right now. So I'll just say again... thanks!
Thank to everyone else, too! Superb comments....
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Thanks, Jamie!
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Oh, I read this again and the question is not what if woman waged war, but "What if war were a woman." I'm afraid that if war were a woman it would have the power to psychologically destroy its enemy. There is a ruthlessness in femininity. The fairer sex is quite good at emotional battle. What she may lack in physical strenth she more than makes up for with an intellect that can be quite cunning and calculating. On the other hand, I agree with some of the others who commented that empathy, nurturing and respect for human life, especially the lives of childen are also feminine qualities. My friend also suggested that ritualistic war would be a powerful tool in conflict resolution and I think that feminine war would appreciate and be quite good at a psychological battle rather than a physical battle.
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I couldn't agree more, Tara. Let's not forget, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." As far as the way the different sexes successfully impose their wills upon others, woman probably learn to rely on psychological manipulation as compensation for their lack of physical strength. It has long been my opinion that little girls on the playground are far more cruel, ruthless, and hold grudges longer than their male counterparts. Did anyone see their own high school experiences in the movies "Heathers" with Christian Slater or "Mean Girls" with Lyndsay Lohan? Females are often lauded as nurturing, but aren't males showing their own form of care-taking when they are physically defending their loved ones from percieved aggression, or even spanking a child to impart upon him/her the potential danger related to the rule that was just broken?
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Wow! Excellent points, Tara and Lady Liberty - you've provided some deep insights I had not really considered. I love how folks are digging into this discussion and we're learning a great deal from each other. At least I know I am learning a great deal. Much to reflect upon.... I am grateful.
Well, our company has arrived, so I must go. But I'll return in a few hours.
Peace....
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Lady Liberty, that was my point exactly. I don't know if men even realise how cruel and downright ruthless women can be. And we are incredibly hard on each other. The interesting thing is I dont' think it's something we learn. Even the littlest girls can be very mean!
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Yeah, people will do what they gotta go to get a feeling of power. Unfortunately, it's the wrong kind of power, gotten the wrong kind of way. That's why ethics and morals are important. But most people really don't give a crap about those either. Just the ones that empower them.
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I agree. Power without ethics and morals is recipe for horrors like Abu Ghraib... and the Holocaust.
Sadly, some of the folks who seem to think they're the most moral (Bush? Hitler?) are actually the least so.
Thanks, Terese!
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When women are good, they're very good. When they are bad, they are terrible. They can be catty, vindictive, jealous, and hold grudges more readily and longer than men, it seems.
In certain circumstances I think a woman would wage war as readily as a man. Certainly some women have more testosterone than some men!
The genders are merging more and more and the line is getting more murky between the sexes. Is it due to the changes in our environment or genetics, or both?
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Susan, your first two lines just described the human race. I know men who are vile and women who are wonderful. Women being portrayed as villainous, evil, vengeful, manipulators is just another stereotype that has no basis in reality. Human is human. Bottom line.
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Thanks, Susan and Terese!
Now I've got Depeche Mode playing in my head.
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You're right. People in general can be good et al evil. Sometimes both at different times.
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Very true....
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You've really got me confused.
I think that the reason the sexes can't get along has everything to do with control. People are always asking me if I've seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." They naturally assume it's on my list of favorites. Not! And no, I've never seen it. Why? Because I heard that there's a part where the woman says you have to let the man THINK he's in control, when it's really the woman. (manipulating) I don't play that. Why men need to have all the power and women need to steel it is beyond me. But the Greeks are like that (in my experience) and I don't fit in real well so I don't care to watch what others think is just cute. It's not cute. If men and women would respect each other as humans, they would get along.
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Good points, Terese!
I actually liked that movie more than I expected, though I wouldn't watch it again. It was not long after I came home from prison, and my wife (who wasn't yet my wife) had the video in her collection (her ex was Greek). I felt I needed to catch up on all the movies I'd missed while away. But I finally gave that mission up as impossible. I have too much to get done to make time to watch thousands of movies fom the late 90s and early 00s... lol.
Manipulation sucks. I don't want to control others or have them control me. But people sometimes seek some sort of control without even understanding why they're doing it, or that they're doing it. Unfortunate.... They think they need to either control or be controlled... to control or be out of control. But I think there's a middle ground folks can choose between the two extremes. A middle ground of just living and letting live....
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