Peace in Our Time

This bronze dome

drove ants to nest

in the moistened pot of the Peace Rose,

they have leached the roots

so there can be no flower

– the bud that tried

starved on the stem,

Peace in our time

sorely struck:

Isis gnawing at the guts of its own civilisation,

Malema preaching genocide,

a Trumpet of Jericho braying in the White House.

The rough beast

has slouched to Bethlehem

– been born.

                                    21/12/2016

 - Norman Morrissey

            Scarecrow

Wings,

a raven

wild about the hollows of my head

– croaking fears

I finally talked back

into the skies,

made my heart a scarecrow

to keep him

there.

 - Norman Morrissey