*Editor’s note: Wendy has set war at the center of her poetry since the 1960s. Another war has begun, and nobody knows when or how it will end. These days, Wendy processes, and often transmutes, her feelings about war, about violence of all kinds, in prayer, even though her feelings are no less strong than they ever were when she was writing about war. She and I agreed that re-publishing older poems in this format serves her readers in that they can continue benefitting from her sensitivity, awareness, compassion, and prayers while she can continue working towards peace in what has become a more productive manner–via meditation and prayer. We hope that these republished poems offer some solace, feelings of connection, and motivation to work through these tough times in your own creative ways. 

ALLEPO, SYRIA

Child of Aleppo

Caught in the earth

Caught in debris

Where a bomb

Fell

Hands digging frantically

To release you

As other hands

Gently

Brush dirt

Brush dust

From your face

To keep the miracle

Of your breath

Coming

While you lie still

Your eyes closed

No cry     no whimper

Heard

 

And then

The cameras follow

You

To when you stand

Bathed

Wearing clean clothes

To show the world

This little girl from

Aleppo

Alive and beautiful

As beautiful a child

As ever seen

(February 2, 2014)