Terrorism

Terrorism


Did you read the headlines today,
about the terrorist who blew himself away?

War crimes, Yugoslavia,
fourteen dead in Casablanca.

US official,
UN Security Council,
Iraqi oil installations,
Columbian guerrillas’ machinations.

Chemical, biological,
attacks could be radiological.

Suicide bomber creates carnage,
pre-emptive strikes yield collateral damage.

Afghanistan, Baghdad, Gaza,
Riyadh, London and Casablanca.

Smallpox, anthrax, Ebola, so biological,
pamphlets, leaflets, let’s try psychological.

Hi-tech, low-tech,
turn your heads towards “La Mecque.”

Irish Republican Army, Palestinian Liberation Organization,
Chechen Freedom Fighters, will there one day be peace again?

Kim Jon II, Osama Bin Laden,
President George W. Bush, a few great men?

In God we trust, Allah is great,
let’s get together and celebrate!

When I was a little girl,
I read stories of witches and warlocks,
Secret Gardens and Goldilocks.
On the TV what would scare me
were movies with Frankenstein, Boris Karloff or the Mummy.

Today my world has evolved
Global problems remain unsolved.
Enmity and jealousies have endured centuries,
Jews and Palestinians still bitter enemies.

There’s trouble in the Middle East.
Oh, will the bloodshed ever cease?

Yasser Arafat, from terrorist to prime minister,
honest intentions, or are they still sinister?
Ariel Sharon takes a promenade,
Al Qaeda shows its face in Riyadh.

Kenya or Columbia,
The Philippines, Indonesia,
muslim extremists,
American oil interests.

Lack of basic daily needs,
on misery fundamentalism feeds.

Oil for food could be sold,
Saddam Hussein’s faucets made of gold.
“Now there’s chatter,” says the FBI.
Terror alert has gone “high.”

This Arab–Israeli war has lasted too long.
Where is the peace, the joy of Solomon’s Song?

Tourists and extremists do not mix.
Al Qaeda, Fata, and Chechens create more risks.

New York, Bali and Casablanca,
Northern Ireland and even Corsica.
Terror is not just a problem, over there far away,
but it has hit our homeland, here, today.

Ignorance and poverty, sources of insecurity,
education and tolerance, caring and sharing,
perhaps there is hope on this earth for humanity?
We have to believe it if we want to keep our sanity.

Global warming, global economy,
is this the world we want it to be?
What has happened to humanity?
Is there hope, or is it mere vanity? (2003)


Young people here in France
went to the Bataclan to dance,
but those who hate our liberty
followed them in a shooting frenzy.

Today we bow our heads in pain
for dear ones who lie slain.
We bow our heads in daily prayer
and defy the cowards with our glare.

They want to hurt us and make us cower,
but they have no clue as to our power.
We are resilient and will not fail,
for freedom is our holy grail.

Terrorists have hit Paris before,
filling streets with blood and gore.
Terror and ignorance will not win,
for we are free men and free women.

Whether you live here or across the sea,
raise your voice and shout with me.
We are a people born to be free,
and you will never take our liberty.

So throw down your gun and grenade,
because we are not afraid.
We rally and unite together,
guarding our freedom—strong forever.  (2015)