'they '

    "The Fly in the Chardonnay"

they were handing out candy
by the side of the road
and one of the soldiers
in mid-gesture slowed
a little girl there
was holding her eyes
she couldn't see
their sweet surprise

it was ironic

it's like winning
a president race
and they take it away
so you get second place
it's a huge fat surplus
just goes to a war
it's a polar cap melt
when the oil's running low
it could be ironic

so the soldier's hometown
decided they'd save
the blind girl's sight
and passed the hat around

and they did it

it's like winning
a president race
and they take it away
so you get second place
it's a huge fat surplus
just goes to a war
it's a polar cap melt
when the oil's running low
it's sort of ironic

when they flew the girl home
she was so excited
she had never yet seen
her parents, benighted
so she got to the place
there were bodies strewn
she saw bullet holes
and a smoking ruin

it was scary

and she told the americans
this shit is too much
i don't want to see
if i have to see such
make me blind again
if you can't take away
what you've done to my country
my people and me

and it wasn't ironic
it was tragic

it's like winning
a president race
and they take it away
so you get second place
it's a huge fat surplus
just goes to a war
it's a polar cap melt
when the oil's running low
and it isn't ironic

it's tragic