Aaron Kiely

they say they are “pounding”
“unabated fury”
they say they are “pounding”
I’ve been counting the days
and I’ve been saying prayers
three nights
two days
I’ve been counting days
bless the people of Afghanistan
I’ve been counting days
and each day
“pounding”
six nights
five days
they are in the sixth night
the morning after the sixth night
I pray
and each day
“pounding”
bless the people of Afghanistan
at least one of us is with you
ten nights!
“second week”
“intense strikes”
“rocked Kabul”
they say
“rocked Kabul”
ten nights
dawn after the tenth night
“rock the capital”
for ten nights and nine days
“round the clock”

I’ve been praying
light is in you

this is not light
at least one of us is with you

light is in you

this is not light

eleventh night
“relentless”
eleven nights
“a red cross building, UN workers, the village of Karam, shattering windows of shops, residential
areas, lost his wife, mother and brother, crater in the street, a child”
“relentless”
eleven nights ten days
midnight of the eleventh night
two in the morning

(Aaron Kiely, Manhattan, 10/17/01)

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