For The Record

A poem by Adrienne Cecile Rich (1929 – 2012)

The clouds and the stars didn’t wage this war

the brooks gave no information

if the mountain spewed stones of fire into the river

it was not taking sides

the raindrop faintly swaying under the leaf

had no political opinions

and if here or there a house

filled with backed-up raw sewage

or poisoned those who lived there

with slow fumes, over years

the houses were not at war

nor did the tinned-up buildings

intend to refuse shelter

to homeless old women and roaming children

they had no policy to keep them roaming

or dying, no, the cities were not the problem

the bridges were non-partisan

the freeways burned, but not with hatred

Even the miles of barbed-wire

stretched around crouching temporary huts

designed to keep the unwanted

at a safe distance, out of sight

even the boards that had to absorb

year upon year, so many human sounds

so many depths of vomit, tears

slow-soaking blood

had not offered themselves for this

The trees didn’t volunteer to be cut into boards

nor the thorns for tearing flesh

Look around at all of it

and ask whose signature

is stamped on the orders, traced

in the corner of the building plans

Ask where the illiterate, big-bellied

women were, the drunks and crazies,

the ones you fear most of all: ask where you were.

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Poems in English 

• Sir Philip Sidney; Astrophel and Stella: XXIII by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Ring Out Your Bells by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Psalm 19: Coeli Enarrant by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Philomela by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Loving In Truth, And Fain In Verse My Love To Show by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Leave Me, O Love Which Reachest But To Dust by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Come Sleep, O Sleep! The Certain Knot Of Peace by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel and Stella: XXXIX by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel and Stella: XXXIII by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel and Stella: XX by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel and Stella: XV by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel and Stella: XLI by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel and Stella: XCII by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel and Stella VII: WhenNature Made her Chief Work by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel And Stella-Sonnet XXXI by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel And Stella-Sonnet LIV by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel And Stella; Sonnet CVIII by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel and Stella LXXXIV: HIGHWAY by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel and Stella: LXXI by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney
• Astrophel and Stella: LXIV by Sir Philip Sidney by Philip Sidney

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