For The Record

A poem by Adrienne Cecile Rich (1929 – 2012)

The clouds and the stars didn’t wage this war

the brooks gave no information

if the mountain spewed stones of fire into the river

it was not taking sides

the raindrop faintly swaying under the leaf

had no political opinions

and if here or there a house

filled with backed-up raw sewage

or poisoned those who lived there

with slow fumes, over years

the houses were not at war

nor did the tinned-up buildings

intend to refuse shelter

to homeless old women and roaming children

they had no policy to keep them roaming

or dying, no, the cities were not the problem

the bridges were non-partisan

the freeways burned, but not with hatred

Even the miles of barbed-wire

stretched around crouching temporary huts

designed to keep the unwanted

at a safe distance, out of sight

even the boards that had to absorb

year upon year, so many human sounds

so many depths of vomit, tears

slow-soaking blood

had not offered themselves for this

The trees didn’t volunteer to be cut into boards

nor the thorns for tearing flesh

Look around at all of it

and ask whose signature

is stamped on the orders, traced

in the corner of the building plans

Ask where the illiterate, big-bellied

women were, the drunks and crazies,

the ones you fear most of all: ask where you were.

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Poems in English 

• Malay Song by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Malaria by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Mahomed Akrams Appeal To The Stars by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Love Lightly by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Lost Delight by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Listen Beloved by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Lines By Taj Mahomed by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Less Than The Dust by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Lallji My Desire by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Lalila To The Ferengi Lover by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Kotri By The River by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Khristna And His Flute by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Khan Zadas Song On The Hillside by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Kashmiri Song by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Kashmiri Song By Juma by Adela Florence Nicolson
• In The Early Pearly Morning by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Illusion by Adela Florence Nicolson
• I Shall Forget by Adela Florence Nicolson
• I Arise And Go Down To The River by Adela Florence Nicolson
• Hira Singhs Farewell To Burmah by Adela Florence Nicolson

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Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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