Hate III

You should fear more becoming a hater,
than being hated.
The former you can control, 
you can’t the latter.

Hating, to put it bluntly,
is to lose control
and be bludgeoned 
by cowardly emotion.

Better is to kill
and be totally brave about it,
being in control
and respected, having no doubt. 

In the process 
you might get killed,
or if not,

put to death by hanging, 

but, at least, you are in control,

have a say about it.
Still killing will be judged as hate
unless acted in defense

of yourself, your family and friends,
or are caught in war
and, therefore, required to hate 
as do all others.

If that is not what you want,
you can be a medic 
or refuse
as a conscientious objector,

endure the hate of peers 
and the folks back home,
get handed your own white feather.

You may find that hard, 
but you and your conscience will be free,
so may stand unashamed before God.

If that’s not enough, steel your will
and cut your own throat.
You’ll be seen as weak
and will be quickly forgotten.  

But it is only time you have killed.