Explanations of War
See all those bright lights whizzing around in the sky- They are only the stars throwing a party. And the shaking you feel beneath you, The shaking that jars your teeth and your bones- That is only the way the earth dances. And the bangs and roars, the cracks and blasts and booms- These are only the sounds of little spirits tuning their instruments. And the horrible wailing that rises and falls, rises and falls above the buildings- That is only the rooftops shrieking their envy that they cannot fly off. And the high fires that climb above the rooftops- These are the rejoicing souls of our city flying to heaven. And the black clouds of smoke blotting the beautiful woman of the moon- These are our dark acts evaporating. And you my child, lying still in my arms, Lying stiff as a mould of ancient clay, You my child, you are only sleeping. DAVE LORDAN Dave Lordan was born in Derby in 1975. He now lives in County Wicklow, and is editor of Ireland's leading alternative literature blog The Bogman's Cannon. His most recent poetry collection The Lost Tribe of The Wicklow Mountains was published by Salmon last year. |