Veneta Donaldson: "They Told Me — "

Veneta Donaldson with her husband, Clyde, c. 1950
Here's another anti-war poem. Veneta's experience with both World Wars comes into play in this one.


They Told Me —
by Veneta Donaldson

They told me of the strife at sea
When ships were tossed in maelstrom wide;
They told me of Victory's fee
And depth of scars men cannot hide.
They told me never would our sons
Again feel hatred in their breast;
They told me all death-waging guns
Had been discarded, laid to rest.

They told me all men should be free,
United brothers of One World.
They never mentioned sophistry
Nor darkness that may be unfurled,
Chaotic, worse than twice before
When Peace was thought predominant.
They should have told me one thing more —
That war stalks men intolerant.


A note about gender: As was the custom for most of the 20th century, Veneta used masculine words like "men" and "brothers" when indicating both genders. So she meant "all humans should be free, united siblings of One World." I prefer the way she wrote it, because it comes across as less technical and more poetic.

The next poem in this series can be found here: In Memoriam.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Surely They Remember"

Veneta Donaldson, c. 1919
This photo shows Veneta as a girl, several years after her mother passed away. She was no stranger to sadness and tears. The following is one of her anti-war poems.

Surely They Remember
by Veneta Donaldson

At times when life has lost its vibrant charm
And weighted hours suspend themselves from days
Whose timing caters wholly to alarm,
Hysteria, and man's unlawful ways.
My heart is saddened and I vainly grope
For recollection of those happy years
When one knew nothing of the frenzied hope
Of peoples destitute, nor of their tears.

Long happy days of fruitful work and peace
Should be remembered by our chosen ones
Who strive to guide the world so wars will cease
And hands will not be trained in ways of guns.
Oh, surely they remember, pledge the young
That Peace shall speak one universal tongue!


The next poem in this series can be found here: To N.J.D. and P.C. McC.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Reiteration"

Veneta Donaldson, c. 1911
Veneta wrote some anti-war poems during her early writing years. War was a major factor in her childhood and in her young adult life. She was very much against it.

Reiteration
by Veneta Donaldson

Why does reiteration sound
So blatantly upon the tongue?
Have we forgot the fresh, green mound
That houses dreams torn from the young?

Why does War's anvil strike the spark
That fires the greed of blinded souls,
Whose self-willed destinies so dark
Know only frenzied, powered goals?

Oh, surely in the hearts of men
A lasting freedom's uppermost;
And vows when Peace is ushered in
Outlive the moment's fevered boast!


The next poem in this series can be found here: Beauty.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Conversation with Absinthia, Part 2

Three Mile Island: Before

Here is the second part of a continuing email conversation with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the earlier posts, start with Do the Right Thing.


Hi, Absinthia,

When I was a kid in the US in the 1960s, I had weeks and weeks of lying in bed awake, terrified of nuclear war. After it went away, months would go by, and something would remind me of it, and the fear would return. This went on for years. Now that I’m older, I’m not afraid of death, so it’s not as bad, but I still think about the possibility of nuclear detonation.

I didn’t know anything about nuclear power plants back then. Actually there probably weren’t any that long ago.

- amanda

Hello :-)

Now I started to think again, about the fears of my childhood. The cold war was a reality when I was a child. I am now past 40 and I remember the iron curtain and the low murmur of the east and west leaders threatening each other as a continous background. I also remember the very first time a nuclear plant broke down, the Harrisburg incident [Three Mile Island]. Do you remember when and how that happened? I was a young girl child and the USA was very far away from where I lived then…across the ocean… All I remember then was my mother crying and very stern voices and faces on the adults.

Don´t you worry, lots of people agree with you, at least here in Europe. In a very recent election in Germany, not a national but a big local/semi national, the green party won very big! That means in reality that a big majority of the political power, in one of the most powerful countries in Europe is with the anti-nukes group. This had led to a national discussion about a moratorium, temporary closing, on the nuclear plants in Germany, which hopefully might lead to a permanent closure.

Here in Sweden, political parties with a pro-nukes agenda have run the country for more than 5 years now. But the Fukushima incident has shaken the political leaders quite a bit. The Green Party, which is one of the biggest right now and therefore having a lot of people listening to them, has started a very heated discussion about why the pro-nukes attitudes is treated like some kind of religious truth. The Green Party’s spokesperson pointed to the fact that Sweden makes much more energy than we need oursleves via water, air, and sun power, but still everyone says we need more more, more, and that fact is never doubted! And the nuclear plants are run for double the effect than they were originally designed just because of the “we need more-more-more” cult’s shouting!! “Why is that,” the Green Party’s spokesperson asked?

And I agree, that is a very good question, indeed. Why has no one doubted this, even though we have so many rivers with water power plants? And there are so many wind turbines built, almost no house is built today without sun power roofs, and everywhere we are working to reduce the need for energy and fossile fuel! Why is the idea that we need more energy just as strong and established as if it were a scientific fact?

So, you are not alone!

Even the politicians have started to realise things! …;-)

-Absinthia

(This conversation is continued here: A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 3.)

Three Mile Island: After