Nightmare's Amend

Kurt Philip Behm

Only the dead

know the end of war

 Cursing the living

to forever endure

 

Rich people gifted

to hide in the past

Where nightmare’s amend

— their terror recast

 

(Tribute To George Santayana: January, 2026)

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Comments +

Comments3

  • sorenbarrett

    Now this one takes some thinking to grasp but in its beauty it is worth it

  • Kurt Philip Behm

    I wrote in An Anthology Of Perception years ago ... The Only Time We Escape
    The Jungle Is In Self-Delusion.

  • Tristan Robert Lange

    This is a compact indictment, Kurt. War isn’t resolved…it’s inherited. By invoking Santayana without leaning on him, you let memory do the accusing. What lingers is the sense that forgetting isn’t peace…it’s privilege. Very strong poem. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦‍⬛

    • Kurt Philip Behm

      Thanks, and I agree wholeheartedly that war is like a birthmark worn
      with both glory and shame.

      • Tristan Robert Lange

        You're welcome, my friend.



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