By Douglas Rawlings, World BEYOND War, March 17, 2026
for Paula
Arman, from Minab, Iran heading for school is on the go
while John heads out the door to his job in Eastport, Maine:
Arman feels the news that John could only hear on the radio
seconds before Arman was no more, and John feels her pain.
This is the way of the world as winter turns gently to spring
for John, while for Arman everything swarms into nothingness.
There are no longer moments to leap up and sing
as the dust that was once Arman descends into the abyss.
So now what is John to do, knowing full well he is complicit
in another’s painful, heart-breaking, meaningless demise?
Shall he say a prayer or two as if that would fix it
or should he just say fuck it and get on with his life?
You tell me, America, as our bombs descend on the innocent,
what John should do now that Arman is out of the picture.
What shall he do with his life that could make a difference
now that you have reopened the warmongers’ scripture?
2 Responses
An excellent poem, thank you: it makes me cry. What shall I do with these useless tears?
That is the important question of our time. We are all connected, we are all one. How much longer can we keep damaging other people and ourselves.