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Inarmed
1
An explosion spared her for this.
Her feet are wizened
among scraps of metal.
The rest of what were paved streets
we briefly reflect
before she yells at us
about some child
light enough to swing like a dead cat.
The translation makes it easier.
“May Allah damn you. May Allah
burn your cities,
and why? To kill this boy.”
She holds something in her arms.
What is it? “Look. Look.”
There are no exclamations in the subtitles.
Paved streets are where the rich live
in her country. These are what used to be
a house and several cars. What is she yelling?
She is having trouble breathing.
After one gulp, she says, “Look at your work.”
2
I will look.
The dead have collected flies.
Those we can find.
Your little boy collapses limp with our metal;
our 2750 collapse into particulate.
We have nothing to hold.
You asked. I will look at the dead.
In the underground a man has carried a bomb.
Into the barracks women walk and burst.
What did it cost
to kill your little boy?
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| This is a very powerful poem. I love the simple yet very effective lines such as "about some child/ light enough to swing like a dead cat." They cause the harsh, sad words to convey the message in a raw way. |
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| Thanks! |
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Comment by: Sophia Online- 2008-02-04 02:24
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Very strong, very powerful. Your use of words is great,and the simplicity of some lines is their strength, the matter of fact tone makes the images almost more shocking, like here:
'You asked. I will look at the dead.
In the underground a man has carried a bomb.
Into the barracks women walk and burst.'
I will read this again, it's very well written. |
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