Another two-prompt poem: the prompt at DVerse was to write an antiwar poem, and the prompt at Poets & Storytellers United was to write a poem for el Dia de los Muertos.
A day to pray for all the dead
is needed in a year of war.
So many lives untimely fled,
so many living hearts left sore:
a day to pray for all the dead
is not enough. It will take more.
So much blood's been untimely shed--
a fool in desert drought might poor
fresh water on dust bare and red:
that's much less wasteful than a war.
A day to pray for all the dead
is needed in a year of war.
It's Bad all right. El Dia de los Muertos has a sort of festive quality. People remember the dead, fondly, respectfully; they reflect on mortality and the brevity of life, and try to make the day "sweet," in some places literally, sucking on skull-shaped candies; they pray that the dead can find peace and pardon in the afterlife. I understand the idea of praying for those killed in a war, but I couldn't imagine a way to make it festive.
Yes, on this we can all agree, the untimely shedding of lives does need more than a day and a prayer.
ReplyDeleteSo much death is horrifying.
ReplyDeleteSo much blood wasted. All we can do is pour out sympathy to those who remain alive, while trying to help, in any way we are able, to prevent such atrocities in the future...
ReplyDeleteIt's not THAT bad! I admire anyone who can rhyme while making it seem that the words just naturally fall into place like that. (A slower rhythm might better underline the solemnity; however that is really a matter of how any individual reads it.) As for what you say, who could fail to agree?
ReplyDeleteA day to pray for all the dead
ReplyDeleteis needed in a year of war...
that is all too true!
Thank you poets for visiting and commenting.
ReplyDeleteI found your comments from my last two links in the spam folder just now. So aplogies for the delay. And I so agree with needing time to grieve the dead in an absolutely wasteful year of war. It is sorrowful that we keep saying there will not be another war and then, there just is.
ReplyDeleteEl Día de Muertos is a celebration of life, indeed, but the festivities are always filled with pain and tears when the death is fresh. Grief rarely does well at parties.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful, Priscilla.
ReplyDelete