In What We've Done We Take the Greatest Shame 

Music: Ogive No. 3 By Erik Satie. Sequenced by David Cooke.

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Hear me read the poem: As a .wav file As an MP3 file Alpha List Independence Day Poems Poems About Terrorism and 9/11  Political Poems Contents Home Copyright by Nicholas Gordon

In what we’ve done we take the greatest shame. Nothing that was done to us excuses it. Despite the evil of our enemies, Evil never justifies more evil, Perhaps because it never leads to good. Each prisoner was tortured in our name. No one unleashed has power but abuses it. Defying friends, ignoring verities, Embracing our illusions without cavil, Now we must repent, as well we should. Conquerors must always take the blame. Each victor rules the ravaged state or loses it. Demons overran Gesthemanes As we washed our hands, too few to handle Yearnings that would turn our dreams to blood.