The war in Afghanistan
(or at least 'Murica's
participation in it)
is now officially over.
The event was marked with
a quiet flag-lowering ceremony
in Kabul.
The country's own security forces
will be left in charge
with 13,500 US troops
hanging on
for peacekeeping purposes.
Afghanis themselves
have mixed feelings
with 42-year-old shopkeeper
Gul Mohammad saying
"At least
in the past 13 years
we have seen improvements
in our way of life"
citing "freedom of speech
democracy"
and "the people generally
better off financially" as examples.
Not to make light of
the violence and upheaval
the country has experienced
at our hands
and otherwise
(or the "improvements" that may still
to first-worlders
look plenty dire)
but those three things
would be pretty nice to have
in our country too.
This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.
