UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Saturday 22 May 2010

Dust and ashes by Adrian Mitchell‏

The Cedars of Lebanon have been stripped of their bark,
cut down to the sap, hacked down to the roots.
Now they are ashes floating over blackened villages.

Israel has locked herself in the bathroom
and is slowly cutting her own throat.

England is hunting down insurgents in Iraq
and terrorists in London,
While selling weapons to anyone who wants to kill.

The USA arms the world at an enormous profit
under the trading name of Shock and Awe.
Washington is the new Rome
whose rulers plan the domination of the world.

What if the weird Barbarians resist?
Bomb them to dust and ashes.
Before we’re through
the whole world of Aliens
will become a desert.

Yes the building, the cedars, the animals
and the people will be one dust storm,
a nuclear dust storm swirling round the world..

And when all the men and women and children are dead
in Dubai, Chicago, Beijing, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro and Paris –
when they are all dead
and all the animals
and all the trees
and all the birds
and all the insects –
their ashes will fly in their hot agony
and descend upon the waters,
and the poison ashes will murder the oceans
and all life will be wiped out –
goodbye, my love.

Adrian Mitchell

http://international.poetryinternationalweb.org/piw_cms/cms/cms_module/index.php?obj_id=13553