Love in time of war
In the calm water of love-nights
the storm of life sends out cries
carri'd by leaves of death
falling one by one,
as distanc'd nearness cries
disturb the silent candle burning
he, a sultan to spheres of love
arm'd with ecstatic flutes
sang poetry of love in the sky
heard only
by the Goddess moon
he, who opens a thousand gates
of love
subdu'd by unimaginable Venus
takes leave of the world he loves
fleeing from heart'less
horde of fears
of atoms and grasshoppers
that brush fire
in the mid-hours of bloodletting
ascending crimson nights,
he, abjures
to play the game of the world
deafen'd by hearts of passion
instead, his soul crawls out
to sev'n thousand years
of fields of nights
of thousand moonlights
to join in dance
with depart'd stars
to find its morning
love in times of war.
_
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* Amira Ali holds an MA in International Relations and Conflict Resolution. She is a freelance writer, poet and activist.
* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at Pambazuka News.