Image by Shahariar Lenin from Pixabay
Remains of a concentration camp in Poland
Good morning, Poetry People. Or whatever it is wherever you are.
Today's poetry prompts converged to inspire some grim subject matter. Add to that the fact that I woke up at 3:30 this morning. I don't know what it is about the 3 AM hour. It's like the veil between the worlds is thin or something.
Today's April PAD Challenge prompt asks for a six-word poem.
Today's NaPoWriMo prompt asks poets to recount a historical event.
One of history's worst dictators was born today in 1889.
I summed this event up in six words with an acrostic.
I believed this brief work would be more impactful if I stuck to facts. It's easy to spiral into hyperbole where people such as the subject of today's work are concerned.
There is no need for me to directly point out that Adolf Hitler was a monster or that his actions and attitudes inspired destruction. History speaks for itself.
Perhaps the most frightening thing about Hitler is the fact that much of the time he didn't appear monstrous. He loved animals. If he believed he had offended someone, it would trouble him to the point where he couldn't sleep. People who knew him described him as being charming and dignified. During the war, he visited hospitals to offer soldiers comfort and encouragement.
Indeed, the most terrifying thing about Hitler was the fact that a person embodying all the above positive attributes was capable of ordering the imprisonment and murder of millions while believing his actions to be completely correct.
In today's climate of intolerance towards anyone whose opinions differ in the least from prescribed political correctness, it is important to police our own behaviors and beliefs while keeping the following advice in mind.
When fighting monsters, be careful not to become one yourself.
"I think we have got to learn to disagree without being violently disagreeable..." Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~
No comments:
Post a Comment
We love comments, with three caveats.
Be cool, Fool.
Don't be rude, Dude.
Don't be a prick, Slick.
That's all, Saul.
I try to get comments published as quickly as possible. I don't always reply to comments on my blog, but I do try to visit as many people as possible when I participate in blog hops and I share links where possible to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and such so others can discover your work. I do read and appreciate your comments.