shed no drop of blood— published in NonBinary Review, The Zoetic Press Journal of Literature #BirdieSanders

#BirdieSanders

All leaders have known this for millennia:  there is skill in battle. (Just ask millennials.) Subtle nuance can propel a cause and fuel a movement or sink a campaign. Just talk with Howard Dean about his scream. Or ask Mitt Romney, "Who let the dogs out?"

I was thinking of this when I wrote a poem inspired by Sun Tsu's The Art of War, recently published in NonBinary Review.

Sun Tsu, the elusive military expert whose work has influenced diverse leaders ranging from Douglas MacArthur to Mao Zedong, explains the importance of  recognizing strategic opportunities.

In his fourth chapter, Sun Tsu focuses on dispositional tactics and shares a path in which true leaders avoid creating opportunities for their opponent. This requires reserve, strength of character, and the ability to pause and reflect.

Today, I could not help but notice that Bernie Sanders was awarded a strategic opportunity that landed on his podium and commanded the attention of the Moda Center and the world.

Here's the poem I wrote, entitled shed no drop of blood. Grateful to Lise Quintana and Ali Marini for publishing it.