A bomb basks in a living room

I remember once, a bomb blew up 
the innards of our town
a mile or so from where we lived.
I’d been sitting in our living room
and watching telly with the family,
the evening news, as usual,
blasting out the hottest stories
of the day on Belfast streets, 
when suddenly six hundred pounds 
of hatred made its own arrival
to our relatively peaceful lives.
Next morning daddy took us down
to see the aftermath and to wisely
keep his counsel to himself,
for gentleness was his tool of war 
and nothing else.

In Mr Muin Al-Hatto’s Gaza city home
an unexploded ornament of war
lies beached inside his living room. 
With the sleekness of a shark
it stretches its two thousand pounds
of ill intent across the rubbled floor, 
a slumbering timebomb with a name:
Mark84/Mod4 – 2000 lbs, 
writ large upon its mottled skin.
I wonder what a father thinks
when every substitute for shelter
offers up its same bleak consequence.  
Better then to live or die
amongst the dregs of home, 
and recognise their truth in all
its particles of enforced misery. 

We are registered with easyfundraising! 8,000 brands will donate to us for free every time you use it.

It’s super quick and easy to SIGN UP, and will never cost you anything whatsoever. It’s FREE for you and HUGE for us!