A woman dries a baby in a towel after giving the infant a bath inside a tent at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah, in southern Gaza, on Jan. 18. AFP via Getty Images via NPR, January 31, 2024 |
There are no Magi to adore them now,
the women giving birth
in ramshackle sheds
or freezing tents
or in the rubble
and cold
and dirt
of what’s left.
There are no Magi to bring gifts,
no shepherds to bring succour
to the women giving birth
in ramshackle sheds
or freezing tents
or in the rubble
and cold
and dirt
of what’s left.
Maybe artists will paint the scene
but I doubt it.
None are needed
when we can already see,
when we already know
and then we don’t see
anymore.
Lynn White lives in north Wales. Her work is influenced by issues of social justice and events, places and people she has known or imagined. She is especially interested in exploring the boundaries of dream, fantasy and reality and writes hoping to find an audience for her musings. She was shortlisted in the Theatre Cloud 'War Poetry for Today' competition and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net and a Rhysling Award. Her poetry has appeared in many publications including: Apogee, Firewords, Peach Velvet, Light Journal, and So It Goes.