her body
ghostly
before death
one visible eye
distantly gazes out
from under a white
muslin shroud
Safia Ali
lays dying
in her home
a hut in Somalia
surrounded by
villagers who
peer in waiting
her 5 children
cannot be seen
we are told
one curls up
tight into
his mothers
body
Safia Ali
last ate
1 week ago
war
famine
drought
brought her
to this place
I cannot
turn the
page
afraid
I’ll forget the face
of
Safia Ali
I want to
be haunted
by her image
forever
I plead with
her one eye
with the reporter
with the photographer
please
keep
her
breathing
tonight
my children will
at some point
climb up
into bed
I will lay awake
surrounded by
their sweet breath
and warm bodies
thinking of the
children
of Safia Ali.
Birdsword Poetry 
7 comments
Comments feed for this article
May 19, 2008 at 4:30 pm
gautami tripathy
Haunting image. Tragic and poignant..
stoicism
May 19, 2008 at 8:11 pm
artpredator
yes i know the feeling…i’m glad you bring this image “home”
May 20, 2008 at 2:12 am
Linda Jacobs
Love the ending. It’s a universal happening that all mothers can relate to.
May 20, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Regina Clare Jane
This was beautiful… with all the loss going on in the world today, how can one not be moved by such images?
Thank you.
May 20, 2008 at 11:41 pm
jan
being a mother i can feel the sadness and it just rips my heart out to think of all children who must see this kind of thing, and live this kind of reality; the tragedy of it all — nicely written.
May 24, 2008 at 1:26 am
Scott
You certainly resurfaced with a bang!! Excellent piece that tears at the heart, causes a fist to clench slightly and … then closes with a loving sweetness tied to the fear of the fragility of our own safety net.
October 12, 2008 at 2:57 am
Cendrine Marrouat
Excellent piece! Your words powerfully resonate within my own mind. A masterpiece!