More Precious Than Gold

War is a tragic waste
bringing anguish to innocents.
Only idiots believe the righteous win
rather than the strong.
And the suffering doesn’t end
with the last clash of steel,
death of a soldier,
or surrender.

For a defeated nation
humiliated on the field
comes the lingering torture
of war reparations.

Such misery is as ancient as this world.

When mighty Carthage fell to Rome,
the People and Senate demanded
that the vanquished relinquish land
and pay tribute in silver.

When Napoleon failed at Waterloo,
the French people paid for his ambitions
with an indemnity of
seven hundred million Francs.

But of all the tyrants who reveled in victory
the Aztecs stand out
for their bloodthirsty rituals
and despicable demands

When they defeated the Mayans,
they ripped out the hearts of captured foes
to appease the gods
and exacted reparations
from wealthy Maya,
where gold paved the streets
and people lived in luxury.

But the clever Aztecs wanted none of their gold,
or their women for slaves,
or their lands to farm or build.
They craved something
far more precious than gold.

The poor defeated Mayans
were forced to pay their tribute
in cocoa beans.



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