Money sleeps
She should have disbelieved her
friends who
said there would be a warning – a
signal from
the tower – There was nothing but
the bridge
burning –and she ran with the
women to the
pond standing each with at least
a lone infant
wrapped in a skirt torn from her
body- holding
babies high above the scum – as
night fell and
fires burned - they stood
together unscreams
behind chattering teeth – Nothing
more than a
collection of wasted organs –
unrelated DNA
their tears and gasps and horror,
insignificant
as a single cell is to a mammoth
– as Money
turned on the telly, shut the
windows, flicked up
the AC, pulled the curtains
closed, spraying air –
freshener to clear the annoying stench of death
freshener to clear the annoying stench of death
There never is a signal, is there? And that stench of death...air-freshener and AC are hard-put to clear its annoyance, yes? There's a light touch here that belies the horror - I especially like "insignificant as a single cell is to a mammoth" - good comparison.
ReplyDeleteHorrifying, Pearl. This is nightmare stuff.
ReplyDeleteThat baby being held aloft is so very vivid...what should be a nightmare is happening in reality for too many...a powerful poem
ReplyDelete