The war works hard

The war
How serious
    and active
       and skilful
It is!

From early morning
It wakes up the sirens
   sends ambulances everywhere
   swings corpses in the air
   slides stretchers to the wounded
   summons rain from the eyes of mothers
   digs in the earth
   shovels many things from under the ruins
some lifeless glittering things
others pale and still throbbing

It brings more inquiries
to the minds of children
entertains the gods
by shooting missiles and fireballs
through the sky

It plants mines in the fields
   harvests holes and air-pockets
   urges families to emigrate
   stands with the clergymen
as they curse the devil
(The wretched one, his hand is still in the fire.  It hurts)

The war is relentless, day and night.
It inspires tyrants to deliver long speeches
   gives medals to generals
and themes to poets

It contributes to the industry of artificial limbs
   provides food for flies
   adds pages to the book of history
   achieves equality between victim and murderer
   teaches lovers to write letters
   trains girls to wait
   fills newspapers with stories and photos
   beats drums to celebrate every year
   builds new houses for the orphans
         keeps coffin-makers very busy
   pats the shoulders of gravediggers
   draws a smile on the leader's face.

The war works very hard
without precedent
yet nobody praises it.
 

The cup

The woman turned the cup upside down
Amid the figures and letters
She turned the light off and
Only one candle remained burning
She put her finger on the cup
And repeated some words:
"You, spirit, if you attend, say yes"
The cup moved to the right
The woman said:  Are you the spirit
of my husband, the martyr?
The cup moved to the right -- YES
She said: Why did you leave me that soon?
The cup moved to the letters
I COULD NOT HELP IT
She said:  Why did you not escape?
The cup moved  (   I DID
She said:  How were you killed, then?
The cup moved  (   FROM BEHIND
She said:  What will I do now with all this loneliness?
The cup did not move
She said:  Do you love me?
The cup moved to the right for YES
She said:  Can I keep you here?
The cup moved to the left for NO
She said:  Can I come with you?
The cup moved  (  NO
She said:  Will our life change?
The cup moved to the right
She said:  When?
The cup moved  (  1996
She said:  Are you OK?
The cup moved slowly to the right
She said:  What do you advise me?
The cup moved  (  ESCAPE
She said:  To where?
The cup did not move
She said:  Will we know more catastrophes?
The cup did not move
She said:  What is your will?
The cup moved to a meaningless sentence
She said:  Are you tired of my questions?
The cup moved to the left
She said:  Can I ask more?
The woman said, after some silence:
"You, spirit, go in peace"
She turned the cup upright
and blew out the candle.
Then she called out to her son
who was catching insects in the garden
in a helmet full of holes.
 
 

Pronouns

He plays a train
She plays a whistle
They move away

He plays a rope
She plays a tree
They swing

He plays a dream
She plays a feather
They fly

He plays a General
She plays people
They declare war.