No glass in the windows
a shell hole in the roof
wretched tanks, old
fighter jets and rust kissed guns
lie around
as discarded toys.
In the distance
traits of dust
rises from
Anglo-American vehicles
running after
the Taliban cocoons.
Fighter bombers
passes overhead repeatedly
cough, cold and
stomatch bug rules.
Nearby,
a seven year old child
picks up
dried animal droppings,
the wild trees
are all gone.
Hills are all
barren brown
and chocked with pebbles and mud
is the Kokcha rivers throat.
American soldiers marches on
the memory of Vietnam
still hangs heavily on their core.
Bhuwan Thapaliya was born in Kathmandu, Nepal and is one of the most widely read Nepali poets writing in English today. Thapaliya, who works as an economist, is the author of four poetry collections. His books include the recently released Safa Tempo: Poems New and Selected (Nirala Publication, New Delhi,http://niralapublications.com/new-booksarrivals/ ) and Our Nepal, Our Pride (Cyberwit.net) narrative verses of love, peace, and human understanding.
(http://www.amazon.com/Our-Nepal-Pride-Bhuwan-Thapaliya/dp/8182531152) .
Poetry by Thapaliya has been included in The New Pleiades Anthology of Poetry and Tonight: An Anthology of World Love poetry (http://www.skylinepublications.com/TONIGHTWorldLovePoetry/TONIGHTWorldLovePoetry.htm) as well as in literary journals such as Urhalpool, MahMag, Kritya, FOLLY, The Vallance Review, Nuvein Magazine, Foundling Review, Poetry Life and Times, Poets Against the War, Voices in Wartime, Taj Mahal Review, Strong Verse, poetseers.org, theasiamag.com, asianamericanpoetry.com, and more. Thapaliya has read his poetry and attended seminars in venues around the world, including South Korea, the United States, Thailand, Cambodia, and Nepal.
With past memories of gory deaths
And present strikes of drones
Vietnam continues in Afghanistan
Syria and Yemen
Despite blood stained roads
People continue to live on and on …