"What They'd Rather Not Know"

i write to soldiers in a war
i write to folks on death row
each telling me the bullshit they see
and what they'd rather not know
i test the limits of conversation
pushing each page to the next degree
keeping in mind
that the time they serve
will one day make them free

one of 'em could die in a shootout
one of 'em could die at the hand of law
both serve a purpose somehow
and both plans could easily inhabit some flaws
one of 'em could yell out "go!"
and the other nervously shout "stop!"
one of 'em baring the tools of anger
and the other spitting on a cohesiveness cop

a man steps out of his army tent
and looks past the horizon of the sun
hoping to see resolution somehow, somewhere
but there is none
another stands behind steel bars
dreaming of a home that does not exist
learning that hope is no reality
and his built up reality is really this

i don't pretend to know that much
'cause i'm in no position to be so wise
both facilities take head counts
and minus those suckers who've died
graciously times that number by two
'cause there's two sides to the war
whether it's on sand or concrete
how can we stand for one day more?

i listen to soldiers who need a home
i listen to people on the edge
from those who fight on front lines
from those who hear their rights being read
they can only cling to small filled hope
in that someday they'll return home
and this in turn
is where they'd like to go