Saffron Bullets

by Karen Terrey
Inspired by NY Times articles,

September/October, 2007

Begging bowls turned upside down
No way to heaven now
Who can solve this problem?
Writes a little girl

Burmese monks in saffron robes
Bruised and beaten shining heads
No outside help all we have
Is patience patience patience

Their guns scare us the Junta know it
No outside help they take advantage
Buddhist tolerance and our good hearts
Bullets in the crowd

Marching monks in saffron robes
Bruised and beaten shining heads
Her own government who can help?
Fire in one hand water in the other

A nine year old writes in her journal

Heads bowed down police batons
They come these days in nighttime raids
Shooting saffron bullets

All we have the Junta know it
Police batons and our good hearts
Fire in one hand water in the other
Patience patience patience

Begging bowls turned upside down
No way to heaven now she writes
Soldiers tore off saffron robes

Made them jump like frogs

What relationship advice would a lake give?

Etta James and Thunderstorm
by Karen Terrey

Cracking lightening
make me cringe
down look up
see the yellow
white light streak
to the ground
bent
and violent.
A slash. A whip.
The earth, resolute.