Back To Belfast

Back to Belfast I have been to the Ghetto thrice To Auschwitz twice And to Belfast once And to tell the truth Belfast is the winner of the weirdest places Where I’ve ever been But to be fair That was just before Good Friday- The peak of the peace process Deserted streets Walls dividing roads Flags aggressively hanging from windows Emblems that define their owners’ sympathy Plain buildings bedecked by racist graffiti It made me think of a European inter-war capital Berlin or Rome in the era of dictators Sectarian genocide was lurking there But no blackshirts visible to give it an edge My country, my people What have you done? How could you do this? Answer me! I’ve had my share of tight corners But I can safely say No place ever made me feel so uneasy As Belfast on that day Until now Now when I’ve returned Back there Back to Belfast Deserted streets Fences blocking movement Face masks preventing and protecting against infection Emblems that define the struggle for survival Health signs that warn us how to avoid death Death at the hands of the virus Homicide, infanticide, genocide- This time there’s no special target The enemy is everybody With the infection Now the blackshirts are on the road Patrolling a deserted dyke On the outskirts of Warsaw Soldiers, policemen, imposing regulations All doing their duty, all plainly seen But the enemy is invisible The victims in isolation Their families in quarantine The rest of us waiting For the lurking virus to strike again If we stay at home- With shops and cafes Parks and cinemas closed- Are we safe? If I daub the door of my house With the blood of Lombards Will I escape this Shoah? For how long will this go on? How many more deaths Before the required quota? My God, my God What have we done? How have we offended you? Answer me!