"Their voices were stilled..."

Their voices were stilled across the land.
I sought them. I listened.
The only voices were war voices.
Where are the others?  I asked, lonely
           in the lush desert.
One voice told me secretly:
We do not speak now, lest we be misunderstood.
We cannot speak without awaking the dragon of anger
           to more anger still.
That is why you are lonely.
You must  learn stillness now.

I looked into his eyes, and they were a dragon's eyes,
           and I could not speak,
And we were as grains of sand huddled under the wind,
Awaiting to be molded, waiting to persuade with yielding
           the feet of the dragon.

William Stafford (Magnolia, Arkansas. May 1, 1942, in Another World Instead)

The feeling during the Bush War Era.