After Dachau
Don't start.
You do not have the tears,
to absolve what you may feel
upon this acreage of death,
even as a part of you
surrenders to a nascent guilt
in such an overwhelm
of anger and remorse,
as would claw contrition
for the deeds our fathers
sinned upon us.
Listen.
Dachau is only one,
and you would weep as well
at Wounded Knee,
Cambodia's killing fields
and the hundred hundred more
our species has
on record
to our shame.
Now stand
defenceless
to this naked icy truth:
that though we are not
individually
culpable,
we are a species
capable
of such contempt
toward our others
as would take the tears
of an eternity
to draw redemption
down on us.
A Villanelle for Dresden
The city speaks of retribution's shame
to balance Coventry, the blitz, the hard
roll calls of death in retribution's name.
Populations made to bear the blame
wth innocent and guiltless guilty tarred,
the city speaks of retribution's shame.
Percussive bombing, then the walls of flame;
responders by such wanton wreckage barred;
roll calls of death in retribution's name.
Cathedrals, factories, homes all seen the same
by powder blasted, conflagration charred
the city speaks of retribution's shame.
What warrior here what victory would claim
in cities ravaged, absent all regard
roll calls of death in retribiution's name?
Let Hiroshima at the end proclaim
our planet could become a charnel yard,
of cities where to retribution's shame,
Death calls the roll in retribution's name.