Poems of the Week

Afghan Manifesto

by Julia Griffin

“‘This is manifestly not Saigon’: Blinken defends US mission in Afghanistan …
‘We went into Afghanistan 20 years ago with one mission in mind,
and that was to deal with the people who attacked us on 9/11,
and that mission has been successful.'”
The Guardian

“It’s manifestly not Saigon,”
Said Blinken, with his blinkers on;
“While that was something of a mess,
This mission’s been a clear success.
A remnant desperate to scram
Evokes no scenes from Vietnam;
They’re newer, if you still need proof,
The helicopters on the roof.”