**Audio Designer:** Anton
In this contemplative episode of Tall Tales & Short Yarns, we delve into the poignant verses of "The War Goes On" by poet Jim Eves. With each measured line, Eves paints a harrowing landscape of conflict, a tableau where boundaries are drawn not just across lands, but through the very heart of humanity.
In a world where wars seem to emerge from the ashes of the old, Eves challenges us to consider the lines that divide us—lines that once etched, render us blind and deaf to those on the other side. The poet's voice becomes a mirror, reflecting the all-too-common estrangement and the tragic loss of comprehension among fellow beings.
As the poem unfolds, we are confronted with the stark reality of those ensnared by war's relentless grip. For them, the battlefields extend far beyond the physical, waging war within their spirits, leaving scars that time alone cannot heal. Eves's words echo the somber truth that for many, the war never truly ends—it simply lies in wait, a specter ready to ignite anew.
In a daring act of defiance, Eves suggests our only armor may be denial, a turning away from the spectacle of war, a refusal to acknowledge its existence. But is this ignorance truly bliss, or does it pave the way for the next cycle of despair?
Join us as we explore these profound questions and navigate the shadowy corridors of conflict and the human condition. This episode is not just a listening experience; it's a call to introspection, a summons to gaze beyond the lines we draw and to seek the threads that bind us all.
**Note:** This episode is a must-listen for anyone who's ever pondered the cyclical nature of conflict and the power of the human psyche to both create and deny the existence of the very wars that shape our world.
This is a poem called The War Goes On, written by Jimmy's The War Goes On? Which one is this? When will they start another? It's forming now before our eyes, no different to the other. Boundaries can do this to each one of our countries. A farm, a house, a road can have lines drawn between them. Once the line is drawn, we cannot hear or see them. There is no point to talk of this. So foreign is our standing. You talk to me, but I'm not there. There is no understanding to stand and watch the war devise my comprehension, my focus on it can't be held. It fades until it's not there. For those caught up, the impact long and lasting. They cannot walk away from war. It carries on within them. It won't let go. Its purpose clear to start another conflict. The one defense is to say that it is really not there. Avert my gaze. No point in this because it's really not there.