Gaza 2024

By Jesús Sepúlveda 

The body of Christ is a bombed 
strip. Mural of horror

Sore hands

Eternal smoke. More than 30 thousand mutilated bodies

Dunes of blood and famine 
between ruins and exile

The sea opens and the borders 
close

Boys and grandparents and mothers
and pregnant young women. Dark revelation

Oh, Saint John of Patmos!
The souls of the burned rise

Chimneys. The devil 
blows the fire of terror

Who invokes war 
who censures the dead

Who revives the children?
The feet of Christ dry up in the sand

Jesús Sepúlveda is a Chilean poet who lives in Eugene and teaches at the University of Oregon. His work can be read at PoetaJesusSepulveda.com.