The Ingénue

© John Antonius Tabah

The ingénue wined and dined
with Charlie in North Vietnam
while the American prisoners of war
were being tortured in the Hanoi Hilton.

She watched an “unforgettable” ballet
while the children in her homeland
heard about the killing of their fathers
who were fighting in Vietnam.

The ingénue’s apology for poor judgment
came long after having publicly
sought pleasure in taking the protests
of the “American” war to Vietnam.

It was a time when heroism could have been
bestowed on those who protested the killing
of the American soldiers in Vietnam
instead it was hate that was bequeathed.

CHARLOTTE'S WEB   JOHN TABAH'S MENU   NEXT POEM