The War
“The war continues working, day and night.”
–The War Works Hard, Dunya Mikhail
It has a way of knowing people,
the way a night knows our stories.
Everything’s quiet, then you learn to fall,
deeply. It’s said how you approach an issue
says a lot about you,
but how do you approach war?
Everything quiet – almost
at peace – when you learn to fall. Deeply.
And even the night changes its colour.
The dawn is difficult to accept.
Your palms have broken into little chips
of stone, which you will either throw
at people or swallow yourself.
In the kitchen, the water’s boiled, the pan
is ready for eggs. The child you sent out
to get some bread hasn’t made it back.
In the news: everywhere, the streets
have learnt the meaning of blood.
