Casualties and Victims - Revised

I clung to definitions as the void of
Yesterday congealed into today:
victims of an accident are casualties,
and casualties of a sacrifice are victims.

The future may hold nothing so defined
as empty victory or brave defeat:
It may elect to cultivate a garden
or uproot every other callow sapling

The future may become so pocked by violence
that salty rivers turn to poison cisterns.
The future may become too complicated
for analysts and oracles alike.

The future may be marked by many casualties,
and the future may be marked by many victims.
What can I do before the mounting tally
But toss my coin into this feckless fountain?

The future may be marked by many casualties,
and the future may be marked by many victims.
What can I do before the coming moments
but throw my weight behind my favorite adage?

What can I do before the mounting tally;
What can I do before the coming moments;
What can I do for casualties and victims
But stay on task – like any other wretch?