Divide and Conquer by Ian Willey

In the days when I had a lawn to mow I’d begin by cutting a path straight down the middle as General MacArthur did in the Inchon Maneuver. The Inchon Maneuver was a bold tactical move which turned the tide of the Korean War and led to the eventual division of the Koreas at the 38th parallel. Parallel lines are fairly easy to make when mowing as long as you pay attention to what you’re doing. Doing nothing is gaining popularity these days as people grow weary of social media’s endless bombardment. Bombardment lasted for only four days and when the smoke cleared MacArthur had control of Inchon. Inchon, spelled Incheon, is a major international hub now. Now as I said we don’t have a lawn so I have to settle for Incheon-like maneuvers while washing the dishes. Washing the dishes has become my job the way mowing the lawn once was. Was it necessary? asks a man from Hiroshima and I don’t have an answer.

 

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Ian Willey is an English teacher from Akron, Ohio, who has spent most of the 21st century living in the inland sea area of Japan. His poems were nominated for Pushcart Prizes in 2019 and 2020.