There Is a Kind of Scene I Hate [Fawcett #18& 19] (Numbers 14:39-45)

A kind of scene I hate to read
Is based on folks’ stupidity,
Mixed in with status, watch your butt,
And racial conflict – needless stuff.

Then whitewash jobs to save the top,
While men are killed, their bodies rot;
The experts back the party line,
Amidst such hell they claim “All’s fine”.

That was the “crater” incident
In Civil War, when plans all went
To hell – it might have stopped the war;
But botching it, the leaders swore –

They weren’t to blame – “Quite innocent”;
Command control quite early went
To rear and hunkered down, (one drunk),
Another was contentious skunk.

The plan – to breach the Reb’s defense
With bomb beneath their well-built fence;
To blow a crater deep and wide,
Then pour fresh troops to space inside.

The troops to lead the charge were black;
Well trained and briefed, no courage lacked,
But longed to fight at last, help free
The South from days of slavery.

Obstruction blocked the tunnel work;
Then in the end commander (jerk)
Made changes, “Send the untrained in
So whites can end the war and win –

“The op to be the heroes – fight,
No clue about objectives – light
Of day by time the bomb went off,
As fuse malfunctioned – so they walked –

Into a fight without a clue;
Were disunited through and through;
Then blacks were sent when all was lost –
Though trained, informed, they paid the cost.

A kangaroo court later on
Found scapegoats two to pin it on –
One leader, and the blacks (of course),
With culprits real without remorse.

Old feuds between the upper staff;
Bad view of blacks at whom they laughed;
Fatigue; obstruction; gross displays
Of cowardice amidst delays –

Conspired to toss a victory –
When end of war the best could see;
That drives me nuts – such scenes I hate,
To read of them I hesitate.

For I’m a “how-to” kind of guy;
“Why do it this way? Is my cry
Repeatedly – less cost, less time,
Less effort, with idea mine.

But no, “We are committed now
To plan from those who know just how
Things should be done” – it frustrates me
To hear how such defeats can be.

It brings to mind that scene at Ai,
When Moses’ people made their way
To Promised Land – “Attack”, God said,
They shrank in fear though Moses led.

God said, “Okay – do it your way;
Go back to desert heat by day”;
They changed their minds, moved to attack,
And did so now – but God they lacked.

Of course they were defeated fast,
And fled into the desert vast;
For forty years they wandered ’round,
’Till none with that bad view were found.

Then Joshua led them to Ai,
To Jericho along the way;
They won this Promised Land in time,
Command-control made out just fine.

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