Other People Set the Options, We Must Choose

::: Other People Set the Options, We Must Choose

This poem was inspired by an interview with Colonel Colm Mangan of the Irish PDF, on his retirement. He told of working with the UN in Sarajevo and of a sniper shooting tow innocent people dead and him being unable to choose which one would live when challenged.

Serb Sniper:“There are two people in the street below. I’m going to shoot one dead. You get to choose which one lives.”

Colonel Colm Mangan: “I cant make that choice”

Narration: both people are shot dead by the sniper

Serb Sniper: “You could have saved one of those people”

Two people walking down a street
As a colonel and a sniper meet
And look at the range beneath
That the sniper can control

“Down there right now are people: two
Which one lives is up to you”
The colonel did not know what to do
As he looked into his soul.

So the sniper the choice for him he made
With gunfire, the street below he sprayed
Till both people dead on the street were splayed
And to the colonel he said:

“The choice was yours, you failed to make
For your own conscience sake
So both lives I decided to take
Because of you, both now are dead.

Such things to do are neither right or nice
But when we are made to make a choice
If we don’t, someone else pays the price
That in life is a rule.

Of making mistakes don’t be afraid
The worst choice is the one not made
As each day, those deaths are played
In the cornels mind, of those deaths, so cruel.
 

Reviews

[alesuriko]

First I'd like to point out some minor spelling/grammar errors in this story. In the first paragraph it should be "of a sniper shooting TWO innocent people" and the use of "and him being" isn't grammatically correct. It can work without the "him" and would sound more professional and less immature. In the dialogue "I cant make that choice" you need an apostrophe in "can't." After the "Naration:" Both should be capitalized. Also in the very last line of the poem, you spelled "Colonel" wrong.

I like the blunt quality of the poem. Shows the dark qualities of human nature. The rhythm and flow is rather awkward in some places and the sentence structure could use some work to make the read more smooth. Overall, nice piece.

[Natalie C]

Yes Tomas, I am so glad you decided to submit this piece, I haven't read anything from you in such a long time and this one was so great.
You always know how to get your readers thinking, specially with an ending like this;
"The worst choice is the one not made"

Simply brilliant, really loved this

[Raef C. Boylan]

"Of making mistakes don't be afraid
The worst choice is the one not made" - a powerful, haunting couplet.

Not a bad job made of such a restrictive rhyme scheme. Well done.

Thanks for posting this.

[Fantasyfairy]

Have you had this posted before? Because I think I read and reviewed it the first time. Such a sad choice to have to make, but now because he could not make it, he has twice as much guilt to live with. One thing this teaches us is there is always a choice in life. maybe it isn't one we like, but there is always a choice. Thanx for sharing hun XX