Iraq and Syria
The hypnotically
Beautiful
Genius dancers
Of all
That we are…
Iraq and Syria
The whipped
Raped pussies
That gave birth
To civilisation
Your children
Grab you
Whip you
And rape you
Once again…
Iraq and Syria
Are they wreaking
Revenge on you
– They know not what
They do –
For making
The man monkey
Human?
Iraq and Syria
What has your
Agriculture
Your architecture
Your writing
Your mathematics
Your glorious
Music and dance
And your desert god
Given us?
Iraq and Syria
As the last
Hospital
In Aleppo
Is bombed
So Doctors
And patients
Blur in blood
Riddle me this
Oh Cradle of us
– What has
Your desert god
Given us? –
As your great
Great grand
Children
Drop their
Mesmerising
Tree of knowledge
Apple-bombs
Savagely remote
On your
Skipping
Akkadian
School yards…
Roddy McDevitt