Saturday, March 22, 2008

Peace poems from Israel

Prof. Ada Aharoni is a Peace Culture Researcher, writer, poet and lecturer. She is the Founder and President of IFLAC: The International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace. Ada lives in Nesher, Israel.

Poetry for poetry's sake? Art for art's sake? I am for poetry and art with a positive message. Poetry and art should promote peace, respect, tolerance, knowledge of others and friendship.

NO TALKING

The politicians decided
We do not talk with the enemy
We will beat them because they attack us
We will shed their blood
and that of their leaders
But most of all -

NO TALKING!

In the meantime, in Sderot in Israel
And in the heart of Gaza
Blood flows and legs are blown away
And little eight-year-old
Twitee from Sderot
And Mohamed from Gaza
Will not play football anymore
But -

NO TALKING!

How can we convince violent leaders
To talk and not to shoot?
I watch from the side
At the tragic hen and egg situation
And weep together with all the sorrowful
People from both sides
But still, first and foremost -

NO TALKING!

Teddy Bears for Guns

My man of the year
Is the wonderful, wise one
Who sat himself in the midst
Of the West with a huge box
Of chubby Teddy Bears
On New Year's Day,
Attracting an endless
Queue of cheering kids -
Holding guns

He playfully showed
With a smile and a wink
And a Teddy Bear hug -
It could be the beginning
Of a honey-laden decade
In a brave new world

By wisely trading
Guns
For Teddy Bears

Not in Your War Anymore

I am not in your war anymore.
Surely we cannot paint war green
when even the long Cold War is dying,
so let's paint it in all its true
foliage colors, to help its fall

First, flowing flamboyant crimson blood
on throbbing temples and hands,
then russet bronze fiery metal cartridges
stuffing the crevices of young hearts
while golden laser Napalm dragon tongues
gluttonously lick the sizzling eyes and lips
of our children, under the giant mushrooms
freshened by mustard and acid rain
Surely, at the close of our
great atomic century
we will soon find the archaic
history tree, where we can dump
our fearful bottle legacy

And our grandchildren will ask their fathers,
what were tanks for, Pa? And with eyes
full of wonder, they will read the story of the
glorious imprisonment of the Nuclear Giant
in his bottle, corked for ever, and will say:

Well done Pa, well done Ma!

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