Ummah~

Like the shrinking edge of a dying lake,
anger cinches the belt of greater good
ideas until progress shrivels and dies.
Held within the kinship of men, women
thirsty for a return to peace in the world
for their dark-eyed children’s children
await word that The People will save
each other from this drought of despair.
Shia. Sunni. Tribe. Nation. Caliphate.
Fueled by the false faith of hatred,
the winds of power shift and divide
families into plumes of toxic smoke
that have blown west, testing borders.
And kneeling alone on a prayer rug
laid carefully across a concrete floor
bomb-dusted with ash and shadow,
a grandmother remembers the prayer
of Hope for Community.

News Links (find out more): Al Jazeera, Daily Saba, South China Morning Post, Azeri Press Agency, Wikipedia

Audio Link (hear Anne read the poem): SoundCloud

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Poet with a Press Pass features original poems written by poet, speaker and peace advocate Anne McCrady in response to news stories and world events. The series is produced by InSpiritry. More about Anne McCrady and InSpiritry can be found at InSpiritry.com.