our hardened helmets
branded and battle-bronzed
our spidery drones
propelled through startled skies
our heaving artillery
with sharp, cold, riveting eyes
our aisles of pure white missiles
wedded to our spouses of war
whose imaginations have died
with any possibility of entry denied
our wars crumble lives
like crushed cement
innocents on ‘sides’
betrayed and slayed
the sound of our deepest human sorrows
wailing their way to the sea
the same old, cyclical news
flashes in our heads
we wait, as world leaders gravely speak words of war
hoping to justify our fate
somewhere below the precipice of war
an apple tree fruits abundantly
somewhere above
cumulus clouds converge and cavort
remember…
the strength and mercy
of the light
re-imagine its delight
act it, teach it, preach it
lest we forget
Bernadette van Duyvendyk
October 31, 2023
