Island nation
I saw your violent shaking
could hear your screams
and watched helplessly
while cars, buses, homes
got washed away in the tsunami
Shocking,
gasping, numb
how can we defend ourselves?
There is no enemy
no environmental entity
it’s mother earth
doing what she’s done for centuries
like fleas on a mongrel’s back
we’re scratched and shaken off
What did I hear on the evening news?
“It might be an economic boom,
work for the locals,
resources from other countries."
What about your children,
your mothers, fathers, pets
did they survive?
Somewhere in the rubble
an old lady sings a melody
from when she was young,
a sweet soothing lullaby
to let everyone know
everything will be okay.
nakunayo, nakunayo
mitegoran
konohoshizorao
kowaimonomo nayamimo
kieteyuku
nanzennenmo maeno hikari*
don't you cry, baby
don't cry, baby
look up and see the sky-full of stars
fears and worries will disappear soon
from light that traveled
for a million years.
* a Japanese lullaby
No comments:
Post a Comment