9-11
(the flowers of all our tomorrows are in the seeds of all today’s –mahatma gandhi.)

i

yesterday i
become part of talons
of hate
hovering over two hundred sixty souls*
with questions of why
lingering
in the distant lips of passing last breath.


ii

yesterday i
sat maintained
distant with a glee
nonchalantly muttering
it was about time.

yesterday i
remembered the outcry
of kaffir reverberating
through the tendrils of time.
kitchen toto
nugu/ monkey man/woman
sartje baartman –like grotesque-ness

it was about time.

iii

yesterday i
silently coiled with
mis-placed gratitude
for at that moment in time

the sins committed
would be repaid.

iv

yesterday i
thought it mattered then.


today i cried.
* the victims of the us-embassy bombing in nairobi, august 7th, where over 260 kenyans were killed, 4,000 physically injured.many severely


EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT

Dear reader ,

The world stands on the brink of war. It appears increasingly likely – though not certain – that the Bush administration will trigger an
assault against Iraq within the next few days, despite the disapproval of the vast majority of citizens in virtually every country in the world. Such an attack would be an unjust war, in violation of international law, and an immoral refusal to seek peaceful resolution of conflict when such a resolution is possible.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has declared March 21 to be World Poetry Day, with an emphasis on poetry with “topical themes like the culture of peace, non-violence, tolerance, etc.”

Poets Against the War calls upon poets everywhere to transform March 21, World Poetry Day, into a day of poetry against the war, to organize readings of poetry against the war in cities, towns, villages, and homes, and to present the 13,000 poems that have been published on the poetsagainstthewar.org web site to governments everywhere.

To create a reading for World Poetry Day, go here

To create a presentation to a government or organization of 13,000 antiwar poems, plus a list of 12,000 poets and a chapbook of 35 highlighted poems from poetsagainstthewar.org, go also here

Yours for peace,
Poets Against the War

"Of course the people don't want war. ... That is understood. But ... it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." Hermann Goering at the Nuremberg trials, 1946 from "Nuremberg Diary," G. M. Gilbert