The Song of the Captives

Limited resources, increasing populations, and unyielding political and religious systems have engendered conflicts around the world. As a consequence, commercial interests, established institutions, and government powers have threatened fundamental aspects of human rights. The poetry in this book interprets, in a metered format, sworn statements obtained at Baghdad Correctional Facility, Abu Ghraib, Iraq, January 16-21, 2004, and obtained by the Washington Post. It finds a dark music in the plain speech of men detained and manipulated by strangers: He said, If I give you some torture, What do you think? Would that be fair? I asked him, Why torture me then? He said, We need more information.