The angel of death
with a man’s face;
the mother of life
comforting children.
Here is where we are
a planet shaken
by war. People riven.
We come to a
turning point in the guilty
history of crime.
We gather to listen
to witnessing voices
of blood and corpses.
Every one of us, deliberately
or not, declares
something on something of value.
Everyone lays
claim to a position
on one side of suffering
or the other.
Before (and deciding
between) his pitiless
eyes – the angel of death
and the warm body
of mothering life.
Between his war
and murder
and her love.
And sunflowers.
David Sparenberg is author of CONFRONTING the CRISIS: Essays & Meditations on Eco Spirituality in the new Earth Spirit. He is a dedicated peace activist, essayist, and eco-poet. David lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
