Dulce et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori

There is a lot of talk, writing, dispute, about this current war, the conflict in Iraq: the possible deceit involved in our undertaking it at all, who lied when to whom and how much, whether we have an exit strategy, whether we should have an exit strategy, etc. The day after yet another speech full of lies from the president about the war seems an appropriate time to introduce you to Voices in Wartime. This site is a beautiful and heartrending place to visit, for some hard truths about war. It was started either last year or the year before, with the making of a film by the same name. In the group's own words:

Voices in Wartime is a feature-length documentary that delves into the experience of war through powerful images and the words of poets - unknown and world-famous.

Poets around the world, from the United States and Colombia to Britain and Nigeria to Iraq and India, share their poetry and experiences of war. Soldiers, journalists, historians and experts on combat interviewed in Voices in Wartime add diverse perspectives on war's effects on soldiers, civilians and society.

From that beginning it has evolved into a place where people suffering the trauma of war (returning soldiers, families and friends of the wounded or dead, refugees and displaced persons) can find solace, an outlet for creativity, and community. When you visit, listen to the poems - although one can only take so much at a time - browse through the memorials, maybe write something yourself. Hard to put this so it makes sense, but though filled with pain, it's an extraordinary place of healing in this time of strife and anguish.

(The title is a line from Horace, used by the poet Wilfred Owen, in his well-known poem about the agony of death in WW I, Dulce et Decorum Est.)

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