They took all the flowers
and taught them how to shoot guns;

the tulips learned to emit poison gas
and the roses, my god the roses
were used to hide the blood stains
on the carpeting.

It was war;
all out war they said
and everything had to be used
because all was to be used
to ensure ultimate victory.

Dead trees were gnawed at the center
and taught to toppled themselves on unwary Geraniums marching.

The Lialics laid down hand grenades
in front and in the back of enemy Orchid buds.

The outcry against: 'flower power' was immense
'an atrocity' said many
but it did not stop.
Pigeons and dolphins learned to carry bombs;
dogs became spotters for sniper's guns;
elephants trampled the flower beds
and marched with; the infantry.

All of nature bent to war's intent
and paid the ultimate price on bloodied battlefields-
the flowers going straight to funerals-
no need to send remembrances
since
their fresh flower carcasses were already present
bullet ridden and bleeding.

So every tree, animal and plant
was used to disembowel the ecology-
misshapened and bent to Foul Intent
in the grey dawn
cracking-
artillery shells smoking and spent
bullet casings strewn about;
dead flora
dead fauna;
haphazardly arranged dying flowers
their petals weeping.

Lonnie Hicks

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-war-flower/