The Dock of Peace

by Oett Redja

First thistles’ needles stung my palms,

When i unearthed their roots, 

Had gloves on, but nevermind,

The needles painfully moved through.

Then a few nettles kissed my palms.

Gathered a whole bunch of them.

And I still carry in my thumb

 Two tiny glochids,

as they go by. These tricky thorns

lodged in my pretty tender flesh

When I, excited, it was first time, 

tried to take away three prickly pears

from their mother-plant.

There were even raspberry bushes

on my path. Fresh growth on them,

it’s only march, no need to touch, yet.

I compared once the scars their thorns

draw on berries’ lovers’ skin to memories. 

But thistles, nettles, prickly pairs at once,

It was too much.

It felt almost like love! 

And it all happened on the day

the sharp deadly rocket flew over our sky,

not very far away. It probably brought injuries,

destruction, ends.

Rockets bring always harm.

Quite often – death. Never love.

They rape. Rockets just rape. Us.

Every one of us. Even if we survive.

But often our lives end up erased.

Guns too, always rape, before and while killing.

No such thing as good guns.

Producers of guns, mines, bombs and tanks

should be detained, charged with rape and

first degree murder. All of them.

At once. I wish. You might wish that.

But Peace has no authority these days.

Peace is no celebrity. Can this be changed?

A step at a time?

Let’s make it our idol! Lets ask for Peace.

We want Peace on TV screens!

Peace on the red carpet! Peace in the tabloids and news!

Peace and broad leaved dock.

Heard of this potent plant? It grows around here,

right under the deadly rockets. A weed they say.

You know what it can do? It can release the pain

 of nettle stinging, and thistle pinches, and

prickly pears’ micro glochids scum.

It can even heal injuries, and bullet wounds,

put together bodies dismembered by shelling, and by bombs.

No it can not. It’s just a wishful thought.

But we can. We can prevent bombs,

let us not choose not to.

We are still so afraid of Peace.

At least let’s talk about it a bit. While we

go on and kill and rape. Compete.

Successfully bomb. Win wars.

But every time we win a war, we lose it too.

And only dock can help us.