
A whale named Moon, spine broken by a big ship,
unable to dive for food.
emaciated, swims 3,000 miles
to die of starvation in the winter feeding grounds.
The moon rises over the stark winter marked trees
breeze gentle by my ear
as stars witness the rising sun.
An old woman begs the soldiers to leave her family alone
We just want to live our lives, care for each other.
So the soldiers laugh
shoot her husband, rape her and her daughters
steal their food, burn their house.
Grasses in the field, dried wild flowers
wave and clack in midday air.
Sparrows squabble over seed lying on the ground.
A fox crosses the road toward beckoning hill.
An elephant is shot, stripped of her tusks
her corpse left to rot in hot sunlight
while her calf looks on trumpeting in fear and grief, not understanding.
What can I do but witness your suffering?
I don’t know what to do with this.
Some days my prayer books are no help.
©caf








