A requiem--By Angelee Deodhar--India

A requiem

The war’s over or has it just begun?
When will the widow-makers
the takers of sons         go home?

leave half bombed-out tombs

where the armored dead

burn in the sun

silent witnesses lie smoking

in trenched mine fields where

no poppies will ever grow

the war’s over or has it just begun?

and those brother’s keepers

ignoring those they’ve liberated

stalk victorious strut well-fed

                                   

while hungry children

sell themselves for a bun

when each home is rubble

                                   

when even ashes to dust

have returned

when, when will they be gone?

the war’s over or has it just begun?

Angelee Deodhar, is an eye surgeon turned haiku poet, translator, and artist from India.  She has translated six books of haiku from English to Hindi. She has no personal website or blog. "Hot on the heels of her 2014 release of a collection of poetic prose containing haiku, Deodhar celebrates having edited Journeys 2015, an Anthology of International Haibun, highlighting authors in 15 different countries." - David McMurray, Editor, Asahi Haikuist Network, Japan