Condemnation ; NHAT HANH Thich

Originally posted on 1/23/2022, to mark his death.

Condemnation
Listen to this:
yesterday six Vietcong came through my village
and because of this, the village was bombed.
Every soul was killed.
When I returned to the village the next day,	5
there was nothing but clouds of dust —
the pagoda without roof or altar,
only the foundations of houuses,
the bamboo thickets burned away.
Here in the presence of the undisturbed stars,	10
in the invisible presence of all people still alive on Earth,
let me raise my voice to denounce this dreadful war,
this murder of brothers by brothers!
I am like the bird who dies for the sake of its mate,
dripping blood from its broken beak and crying out,	15
Beware! Turn around and face your real enemies —
ambition, violence, hatred, and greed.
Humans are not our enemies — even those called "Vietcong"
If we kill our brothers and sisters, what will we have left?
With whom then shall we live?	20