Many thanks, Christina.
After I'd written it, the voice seemed a little strange to me, then I
remembered watching TV a programme about African children orphaned in
various civil wars. They described horrors so matter-of-factly, it was
heartbreaking.
Yes, that was exactly the meaning I hoped underpeople would carry--- even
easier to think of people as less important when you're looking down on
them.
One of the most chilling images I recall from the Gulf War is a bunch of
military brass chuckling as they watched a small blip on the screen, a
cyclist crossing a targeted bridge moments before it was hit by a missile.
'Oh, he was lucky there, haw,haw,haw' --life and death reduced to the level
of a video game.
Kind regards,
grasshopper
----- Original Message -----
From: Christina Fletcher
Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2003 1:39 PM
Subject: Re: [THE-WORKS] New sub: To those in the air
This is an extremely touching poem, Insect. I like your use of underpeople,
the literal translation of untermensch: it's perfect and layered in this
connection. I'm reminded of how we too, sit and watch from afar when live
images of death are transmitted and look like computer games on our
television screens. The depth of your feeling shines through.
bw
christina
To those in the air.
I am on the ground.
one of the underpeople
who hears an explosion
and feels the blast.
From above it is a puff of smoke,
a pepper of dust.
Fly away, and leave us
to comfort the girl who screams
because she cannot find
her legs and the man
who bubbles sound
without teeth or a tongue.
High in the air
there is no smell,
just the sweet rush of air,
the neat phrases
on the radio.
It must be like having wings.
grasshopper
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