Far Away, Far Away . . .

Far away, far away, men making wars.

Other folk's blood spilt on other folk's floors.

Only this morning I wounded my finger:

a thorn on my rosebush pierced like a stinger.

Sucking that finger, I thought of the war.

Sad is the earth! And those people, so poor!

I'm of no help, being here and not there,

nor can I reach them, by sea or by air.

And what if I could—what good could I do?

My Arabic's terrible! My English is, too!

What, should I stroll through the fields of the dead

leaving sheaves of my verses under each head?

No. Enough of this wretched irony-fest.

Let's put on a coat. The sun's low in the west.