Roman Dictum

©RichardBarnabé2022

Si vis pacem para bellum

Oh how this old dictum

So begot great torments

Up to recent events

Just after the first world war

When things went way too far

The league of nations was set up

To prevent another blow-up

But it was sunk by bad dudes

Then death for multitudes

Now the UN Organization

Should prevent the abomination

Of a nuclear conflict

But penalties it can’t inflict.

And we should trust that history

Will not unfold like last century’s

Si vis pacem para bellum

Can’t we escape this conundrum

Cause if we stick with this pursuit

Our destruction may follow suit

We just cannot go down that route