Tuesday, February 23, 2016

SYRIA'S CHILDREN — POEM

Here are four poems from a sequence written in response to images from a photo-story by award winning photojournalist Magnus Wennman titled Where the Children Sleep published at Mashable Australia. My thanks to Magnus Wennman.


SYRIA'S CHILDREN


i.

These children
bare ankled
dusty kneed
belly down
on flock
they stare
you see
they have died
over and over


ii.

A mock mattress a sheet her pink
striped socks  like scattered litter
the forest floor the closed border 
her freezing sleeping body 


iii.

Day sixteen
he slumps into
his backpack
this bleak pillow
Asphalt grates
small kneecaps
elbows
bombs grate
his dreams


iv.

Living for the day
day-to-day

 Mother
child by the hand

The walk to the market
the taxi bomb
the pie never baked

The child’s wounds
weeping


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