Tuesday, November 6, 2018








Why Do You Cry, Mother?

She birthed
them
both; dark
hair, dark
eyes, a
joy to
any father

She watched
as they played
together
building
castles in
the sand
playing
innocently, but
sometimes
(as children
are wont to
be) exasperating

as time
grew
between them
stones grew
where once
there were
eyes
and
moss covered
their tongues

further than
far and
stranger than
strange
the brothers
grew.
they no
longer spoke
their
moss-covered
tongues
sounded
differently
now than
when they
were young

their castles
defended
by moats
filled with
bloody
broken promises


unable
to speak
the peace,
their
moss-covered
tongues
distort the
words;

The adversary
between them
uses mortars
of hate as
building blocks
making larger
castles
with higher
walls

and with
stones where
their ayes
once were
and tongues
covered
with moss
the entreaties
of the dead
and dying
go unheeded


their mother
birthed them
both, with dark
hair and dark
eyes
any father would
be proud

now they
are like the
grains of
sand

stones where
there eyes
once were
tongues
covered in
moss

when they
speak,
the shrieks
drown out
their words
and
the adversary
gains new
soldiers
and little
children
reach back
chasing their
innocence
back to
peace of
being

soon
not
later
we
will
pay
for
what
we
have
done

A mother
cries out
a father
rends his
garments
their children
are dying
everyday
and the
adversary
with a
knowing smile
slinks through
the underbrush
and preaches
from the
temple\
the minaret
the pulpit

a mother
birthed them
a proud
father
blessed
them

but stones
grew where
once their
eyes were’
their tongues
once sang
odes to joy;
songs of
celebration;
now covered
in moss
sing no more

their eyes
gleam no
more
the wonder
of being, the
lantern of
life, slowly
dimming

the adversary
smiles knowing
that soon
he shall
add to
his horde.


© Ramón Piñero