Down by the river
freshness greens
all that grows
the fish swim
close to the bank
evenings the deer
stand at forest’s edge
those down there
how well they live

with water and meadow
sun and woods
all that’s left for us
is drought
and cold and stone
Yet from injustice
a sharp weapon
can be forged

the valley begins at the mountain
we will join
those down there
and take the light and warmth
the full stomachs
the contentment
we’ll take the peace
they didn’t share with us
no one will possess it

IN WAR. A poetic cycle by Susanne Ayoub.
In progress.

*5500 years ago, during the first known war of humankind, the city of Hamoukar, near the present-day border of Iraq and Syria, was obliterated.

Translation Geoffrey Howes