Janus
The meanings of words can change
Over time. Definitions get lost.
New contexts are gleaned.
The word “naughty” derives from “naught”,
Or nothing, the absence of anything solid.
From there it’s a short leap to a realm
Utterly devoid of moral principles,
Which softened into a minor
Pejorative for disobedient boys.
“Awful” once suggested awe inspiring.
“Nice” people, long ago, were morons.
“Terrorist” used to be a designation
For someone wielding violence against
Innocents to advance a political agenda—
Airplane hijackers, snipers and suicide bombers.
But after Fallujah, Gitmo and Gaza
It has also come to mean: anyone
The good guys can kill
Without pause or regret.
We are the good guys
In this degenerate vocabulary.
The “terrorists” are the ones
Who deserve to die
When our bombs are dropped.
We decide.
Everyone else must suffer.
It grants absolution for vengeance,
Serves as useful proxy for erasure,
A whispered pardon from a deep
Voice on the other side of a screen,
A complex word with both noun
And predicative connotations
Where trial, sentencing and final justice
Are implied with mere utterance.
As these things go
The meaning will continue to evolve.
Pretty soon it will mean
Nothing at all
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