Hi Ryfkah,
A chilling poem. Finely done as well! (And there's a mark of interest in the
point that this has appeared on my screen when war is again on the Middle
East's - and the world's - agenda... So I like the irony of a Jewish suicide
bomber!).
I had a slight hesitation about the bull in the ring metaphor... but then I
thought of Franco's Spain and it's complicity with Nazi Germany: and I
thought it may be OK. Have you any other thoughts on the choice (I mean it's
visually appropriate, but has it other resonances!). And, because I don't
know much about the ritual of bull-fighting, is the sword hidden behind the
matador's back while the bull charges? (ie, how aware is the bull of his
fate in his final run?)
The image you have of Dr. Death is also powerful. With the words "right or
left" I found myself thinking about the New Testament parable of The Sheep &
The Goats (and, in that story, where the goats sent to the fires of Hell? -
Ha, perhaps I shouldn't be asking this! Perhaps I should get out of my chair
and look it up!!!)
And, as a final query, when you say "heavy arms" I guess you mean artillery?
Do the words "heavy arms" have an intentional contrast - are they intended
to contrast to the slight/thin arms of children? It seems you're using a
metaphorical phrase to contrast to something that's not mentioned in the
poem. I guess I'd like to see a child's actual arms mentioned in the poem or
some word like artillery (or mortars, or howitzers, or some such thing) used
instead of "heavy arms".
The ending, tho, (with the guy sitting "like god") is so starkly chilling.
Bob
>From: Ryfkah * <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Children of Death
>Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2002 20:43:12 EDT
>
>Children of Death
>for the Warsaw Ghetto Freedom Fighters
>
>Deep in the bunker
>we sing of milk and honey
>freedom's dream
>Afraid of our hunger
>even the rats hide
>
>Luck and fortitude our salvation
>
>Gas snakes in the sewers
>its venom murders hundreds
>Tanks and heavy arms
>bombard Alone
>I strap a grenade
>to my breast
>
>Barren bones
>I cry for Mama
>
>Poland I pray
>arise arise
>like Deborah
>
>A bull in the ring
>ready for sword's thrust
>I charge at my enemy
>No explosion Fate cheats
>A truncheon defeats
>
>Dr. Death sits like god
>sends many to his right
> or left
>to glory or not
>
>Ryfkah 9/1/02
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