‘My drone-dead lover’ a poem by Fauzia Rafique

(Dedicated to 2043 people killed in US drone attacks in Pakistan in the last five years where 1623 deaths occurred in 2009-10 under Obama administration, and 98% of all killed were civilians.)

Tall high tahli trees
river flows below, O Mahiya
Swinging the swing, fell
lover and the beloved, O Mahiya*

O Mahiya?
Yes-we-can-can!

Grow burning trees
in the fuming soil
. . Yes-we-can-can

Let water flow
in the blasted river
. . Yes-we-can-can

Raise valley up
from the shattered stone
. . Yes-we-can-can

Make blood run
in the charred veins
. .Yes-we-can-can

Bring back to life
my drone-dead lover
. .Yes-we-can-can

Oh Mahiya Can-Can!!

* Translation from Punjabi folk song ‘Mahiya’ (from ‘mahi’ meaning ‘beloved’)
** The phrase ‘yes-we-can-can’ is a chant of Obama’s presidential election campaign.

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Update: June 2013
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