by William Aarnes
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| A Palestinian child stands among the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli attacks in Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza. [Photo: Ashraf Amra/Anadolu] —AlJazeera, December 4, 2023 |
rubble, rubble
rubble, rubble, rubble
children exist, children exist,
cheery children exist,
chasing each other
at a wedding chosen
as the target for the missile
that’s seconds away
rubble, rubble
rubble, rubble, rubble
children exist, infants
napping in the daycare
in the building the terrorist
chooses to bomb
rubble, rubble
rubble, rubble, rubble
children
exist, orphaned and maimed
but maybe recovering
in a children’s ward when men
with grandchildren choose
not to worry if the hospital
might be shelled
rubble, rubble
rubble, rubble, rubble
William Aarnes lives in New York. The refrain of "Havoc" might be a spell uttered by the gods of havoc, though you might also hear an echo of "Nothing" by The Fugs.