CHILDREN OF GAZA

Their Screams

nothing but the torn open mouth of a child screaming
a thousand screams ten thousand infernos of screams
a bottomless abyss swallowing sun moon planets stars
all crunched into a black hole   a minefield of violence
spewing the sulphuric rage we drown in night and day

screams infiltrating us while we gulp morning coffee
screams chewing deep into our bone joints   screams
even louder since we try not to hear them   screams
puncturing our eardrums   screams to scathe heaven
horrifying screams that could make boulders weep

screams smashing against barricaded hearts   screams
crisped to ashes in the blast furnace of hate   screams
bleeding from the gashes made by despicable excuses
screams that can never be cauterized   never reversed
agony of the children of Gaza   screaming on and on


Their Blood

clots of blood multiplying like maggots in war rooms
drops metastasizing--ruby viruses infecting our brains
blood spattered over splintered dishes   shattered toys
blood oozing from severed stumps    rivers of blood
scrub and scrub and scrub   they'll never wash away

blood raining on picnics and cookouts   drenching
football stadiums   blood leaking into the mosques
seeping into synagogues and churches   cascading
down mountainsides   blood swamping the valleys
flooding the jets and limos of the weapons dealers

blood obliterating names  smiles  dreams  futures
blood that's so hot   so cold   bitter and unbearable
innocent blood to appease the murderous despisers
blood of obscene human sacrifice at altars from hell
agony of the children of Gaza    bleeding on and on...


Their Eyes

eyes of wizened sufferers   eyes we can never answer
eyes to shame us   eyes that make us ache not to see
eyes that can't comprehend what's incomprehensible
eyes from light years and ages that won't stop staring
eyes that can't help flinching   crushed raped stunned

who justifies why we kill and kill then kill even more?
who blasphemes and cries "The devil made me do it!"
eyes of our own children   eyes of our own conscience
eyes of betrayed ideals   eyes eviscerated by barbarism
eyes like wounds funneling all the tears of the universe

eyes in the anguished faces of the squandered children
eyes of the scapegoats   eyes of these slaughtered ones
eyes of demolished tomorrows    of aborted becomings
eyes that should scorch out our eyes with such despair
agony of the children of Gaza pouring from their eyes


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