As random targets make their mark
on map of slaughtered children, schools,
cartography is shouting loud.
With carpet laid of civil bombs,
confused in strategy and aim,
ignoring culture, history,
with nation’s fruit of martyr’s blood –
this Babel, the language of war.
While country’s folk, some hate regime,
they love their land, state border line,
see burning ceasefire, Lebanon,
now know thought friend an enemy.
Attacks described as skirmishes,
uncertainty of deal, unstruck,
press conferences ridiculed,
these Straitened times have come to pass.
Stephen Kingsnorth (Cambridge M.A., English & Religious Studies), retired to Wales, UK, from ministry in the Methodist Church due to Parkinson’s Disease, has had pieces curated and published by on-line poetry sites, printed journals and anthologies, including Poetry Potion. He has, like so many, been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. His blog is at https://poetrykingsnorth.wordpress.com