Poets Against War continues the tradition of socially engaged poetry by creating venues for poetry as a voice against war, tyranny and oppression.
Adrienne Rich
The School Among the Ruins
Beirut.Baghdad.Sarajevo.Bethlehem.Kabul. Not of course here.
1.
Teaching the first lesson and the last --great falling light of summer will you last longer than schooltime?
When children flow in columns at the doors BOYS GIRLS and the busy teachers
open or close high windows with hooked poles drawing darkgreen shades
closets unlocked, locked questions unasked, asked, when
love of the fresh impeccable sharp-pencilled yes order without cruelty
a street on earth neither heaven nor hell busy with commerce and worship young teachers walking to school
fresh bread and early-open foodstalls
2.
When the offensive rocks the sky when nightglare misconstrues day and night when lived-in
rooms from the upper city tumble cratering lower streets
cornices of olden ornament human debris when fear vacuums out the streets
When the whole town flinches blood on the undersole thickening to glass
Whoever crosses hunched knees bent a contested zone knows why she does this suicidal thing
School's now in session day and night children sleep in the classrooms teachers rolled close
3.
How the good teacher loved his school the students the lunchroom with fresh sandwiches
lemonade and milk the classroom glass cages of moss and turtles teaching responsibility
A morning breaks without bread or fresh-poured milk parents or lesson-plans
diarrhea first question of the day children shivering it's September Second question: where is my mother?
4.
One: I don't know where your mother is Two: I don't know why they are trying to hurt us Three: or the latitude and longitude of their hatred Four: I don't know if we hate them as much I think there's more toilet paper in the supply closet I'm going to break it open
Today this is your lesson: write as clearly as you can your name home street and number down on this page No you can't go home yet but you aren't lost this is our school
I'm not sure what we'll eat we'll look for healthy roots and greens searching for water though the pipes are broken
5.
There's a young cat sticking her head through window bars she's hungry like us but can feed on mice her bronze erupting fur speaks of a life already wild
her golden eyes don't give quarter She'll teach us Let's call her Sister when we get milk we'll give her some
6.
I've told you, let's try to sleep in this funny camp All night pitiless pilotless things go shrieking above us to somewhere
Don't let your faces turn to stone Don't stop asking me why Let's pay attention to our cat she needs us
Maybe tomorrow the bakers can fix their ovens
7.
"We sang them to naps told stories made shadow-animals with our hands
washed human debris off boots and coats sat learning by heart the names some were too young to write some had forgotten how"
