Syria I

In memory of Bassel Safadi, born 1981, executed 2015.
Declared dead 2017.

 

Bassel Safadi
floats democracy’s banner
flicks livestream worldwide
portraying arrests and spatters
hoping we tend the painted

his clothes shrunk
round his hunger, men crammed
to the walls
regime jailers’ strikes
release seeping dyes

for her visit
he borrows a jail mate’s
brightest t-shirt
brushing up to wear
last moments in her gaze

 

Syria II

pounding ochre
clouds, eye and cheekbone shading
colour runnels
distant Damascus canvas
we lend only the easel

soft faces
a patch of spring fighters lying
woven together
heads nestling on bellies
restoring their fabric

 

Mira Walker

Mira Walker is a Canberra poet. Her published poems include ‘sanctuary at pine island’ Not Very Quiet Issue 1 (2017); ’Famine Inside’ Flood, Fire and Drought (Ginninderra Press 2015); and ‘Waterlilies’ Pour Me a Poem (Watson Poets 2015). She belongs to the School of Music Poets. She coordinates smiths poem workshop.

© 2018