Graveyard of Empires

Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires.

What a fitting name!

Countries that try to conquer it

End up leaving in shame.

 

THREE TIMES the British tried

To tame the unruly land,

And THREE TIMES they left it because

Things didn't go as planned.

 

In fact, 1919 is considered

Independence Day.

That was the THIRD time that the British

Invaders walked away.

 

In 1979 the Russians

Tried to make it their own,

Which eventually became

Another cause to bemoan.

 

The U.S. helped insurgent fighters

Called the mujahideen

Fight the Russians. Maybe it wasn't

Wise to intervene.

 

The Russians left in '89.

Their goals had dissolved.

After the 9-11 attack,

The U.S. got involved.

 

In just a few months, the Taliban

Were brought to their knees,

But U.S. foreign relations are often

Lacking in expertise.

 

The U.S. devoted ninety percent

Of its efforts to Iraq.

Soon in Afghanistan, voilà!:

The Taliban were back.

 

We heard about Russian bounties

On U.S. soldiers, no?

Payback for what the U.S. had done

Forty years ago.

 

And so the story goes on and on:

For 20 years we fought

An ongoing war in Afghanistan,

Which finally came to naught.

 

Four presidents can share

The blame for what occurred.

To put all the blame on one of them

Would be completely absurd.

 

And so, regarding the Graveyard of Empires,

The world remains perplexed.

Will other countries make the same

Mistake? Who'll be next?

-by Bob B (9-24-21)