To the 40

Aral

Maybe one had killed a soldier maybe he deserved to die
Maybe one had smuggled weapons to their troops
And another would have aided them but was a little shy
And the fourth never encountered rebel groups

There were many who were children dragged along with mom and dad
They were playing in the garden on that night
Maybe they were getting tired out from all the fun they’d had
When they looked upon that brilliant flash of light

And we can’t forget the women who were widowed by the war
Maybe they had helped whatever way they could
And I wonder if they had been warned the afternoon before
If a couple of them would have understood

Maybe one was a mechanic and he only wanted life
Maybe one was leaving Baghdad the next day
Maybe one was disappointing to his unexcited wife
Maybe one was never sure of what to say

Maybe one had just been freed from jail he was wrongly accused.
Maybe one was thinking of a poem about the morning dew.
Maybe one had longed for springtime while another wished for fall
But it doesn’t really matter now, my country killed them all.