Friday, July 08, 2005

"To A Terrorist," by Stephen Dunn

For the historical ache, the ache passed down
which finds its circumstance and becomes
the present ache, I offer this poem

without hope, knowing there's nothing,
not even revenge, which alleviates
a life like yours. I offer it as one

might offer his father's ashes
to the wind, a gesture
when there's nothing else to do.

Still, I must say to you:
I hate your good reasons.
I hate the hatefulness that makes you fall

in love with death, your own included.
Perhaps you're hating me now,
I who own my own house

and live in a country so muscular,
so smug, it thinks its terror is meant
only to mean well, and to protect.

Christ turned his singular cheek,
one man's holiness another's absurdity.
Like you, the rest of us obey the sting,

the surge. I'm just speaking out loud
to cancel my silence. Consider it an old impulse,
doomed to become mere words.

The first poet probably spoke to thunder
and, for a while, believed
thunder had an ear and a choice.

-- from Between Angels (Norton), 1989

2 comments:

  1. I read your poem, well done Stephen
    The world some how will have to get into the minds of these who I view as those standing in the boat with the rest of us shooting holes in the bottom of the boat.

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  2. thanks for another nice poem, Stephen Dunn is one of my favorite poets, I have read several of his poems and I like his style!

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