CHILD OF WAR

 

Fear is just the flicker of a gun

menacing with sudden death

in this land where the air

just carries sorrows

to be buried alive in the heavy

carpet of dust that once used to

be a full bloomed garden

 

Still remember the days

- like a dream -

when I rode a bike as fast as a bird

sat at school in the mornings

learnt to read and write

drew big airplanes!

but now they drop bombs

 

Mother always opened her hands

when I threw my shoes at the porch

and I kissed her sweet

buried my face in her hair

warm and fragrant

 

Hallucination…

when I sense her face

close to mine

 

I see a flower bud

standing bravely under

the debris of this floor,

solitary miracle searching

for light

 

Suddenly a prayer

breaks all fears

and I cry again,

sheltered by this silence

born from the bloody

womb of death!