Frail Envelope of Flesh

for the mothers and children of Gaza  

Frail envelope of flesh,
lying cold on the surgeon’s table
with anguished eyes
like your mother’s eyes
and a heartbeat weak, unstable ...

Frail crucible of dust,
brief flower come to this—
your tiny hand
in your mother’s hand
for a last bewildered kiss ...

Brief mayfly of a child,
to live two artless years!
Now your mother’s lips
seal up your lips
from the Deluge of her tears ...

Originally published by The Lyric; translated into Arabic by Nizar Sartawi; translated into Italian by Mario Rigli

Copyright © | Year Posted 2019



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Date: 9/30/2019 2:00:00 PM
Your first line captured me to read more.. oh how heartbreaking for any mother. I just can't imagine. Brief mayfly of a child.. such a powerful line . Thanks for sharing this.
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Burch Avatar
Michael Burch
Date: 9/30/2019 2:36:00 PM
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Debra. Believe it or not, the line "Frail envelope of flesh" came from a comic book I read as a boy. It was such a vivid phrase that I never forgot it. The rest of the poem is original.
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