“War”
War..
A joke the imperialists laugh at
and the displaced children weep from
War..
A commodity traded by capitalists
exchanged by people
for their freedom
War..
The tyrants’ pastime
the destruction of the innocent
War..
A legislation for murder
in God’s name
and in the name of truth
an international ceremony
celebrating the death throes of humanity!
“Song of Ruin”
One, two, Three..
the cat jumped over my heart
and died!
At dawn, morning and night…
The cat meows
inside my head.
In cold and hunger,
there..
On the edge of the country
a child cradles the cat in his lap
and sings the song of ruin…
“The Child”
On the cold bench
the child sat,
his clothes dusted
with dirt and grit
his face gray,
his round eyes,
swollen with engorged tears,
his lips pale.
On the cold bench
the child sat,
extracted from the mouth of earth
from the mouth of death…
alone..
alone..
alone..
“Humanity’s Legacy”
Come to me, come…
Oh children of my own flesh
so I may fairly distribute what I carry
Here I have
mountains of rusted casings
of every calibre
and other mountains of missiles
also of every calibre
Here I have
internationally banned bombs
and hand grenades
for everyday use!
Here I have
armored tanks
drones
and helicopters armed with death!
Here I have
phosphorus,
sarin,
chlorine,
and anti-aircraft guns
to harvest earthly souls
fast and agile!
I have..
thousands of dunams
planted with mines
and cluster bombs
and thousands of well-prepared homes
for reconstruction!
I have..
rings made from mother’s eyes,
necklaces from children’s teeth,
whips from kind men’s skins,
gallows from virgins’ hair,
batons from prisoners’ bones,
and fine whisky glasses
from the skulls of the missing!
I have..
terror of all kinds and colors
fear smoked with humiliation
full-fat horror,
canned despair,
dried passion,
patience salted with resilience,
and dreams stripped of hope
all this and more
I will distribute to you fairly
on ornate platters of humanity,
once the nuclear states take
an open-ended truce
or agree!…
“Adrift in the café”
You are sitting here
your eyes wide open
to the end of fears
your mind boiling with the smoke of obsessions
struggling helplessly to awaken your numbed consciousness
You are here.. and not here!
Your eyes are open
to the end of tears,
staring, adrift in illusion
at your distorted fate.
This is your cold face
and you smile..
Mountains of your ruined dreams
and the bodies of those who left
sway, suspended at the corners of your lips
and you smile..
You sit here alone,
you blink,
and notice a white numbness
spreading through the pores of your face
no one remains in the café but you,
your glass is empty,
your cigarette exhales a thread of smoke
and the filthy mirrors stare back at you
you turn around frightened
how lost and alone you are!…
Wajeeh Zedan
