Ibrahim Honjo (Climate Change, Eco-activism, Whisperings of Social Justice)

Ibrahim Honjo is Canadian poet /writer. He is author 38 published books in

English and Serbo-Croatian language, represented in more than 60

anthologies and have been translated into Italian, Spanish, Korean, Polish,

Slovenian, Bahasa (Malaysia), Mongolian, Turkmen, Russian, Bengali,

Portuguese, French, Arabic, Tajik, Vietnamese, Chinese, and German.

 

Do Not Write This Down 

 

The eternal paraffin lamp is burning sootily above a city

a kilometer further to the north

a model with shackles named River 

advertises the latest trend in heavy industry

 

between pure soul and filthy body

I vote for pure soul

 

I draw bow with arrow

I declare war against filthy body

I shout – long live progress

and my battle cry is – down with pollution

 

forgive me history

do not write this down

leave it to the authorities

this is innovation

in which the first fault is – call to arms

and the second fault – clean environment

 

To your erosion Earth only one step is left

to your destruction man even less

 

a hungry pack of vultures

is playing the music for their last feast

and waiting for the button to be pushed

 

who will be their last mouthful

eaten with pleasure

 

A prophecy speaks about self-destruction

about the Three Mountains of Salvation

about the eternal life in abundance

 

I know the mystery of the Three Mountains

they are paying me with gold

I thank them

 

I am locking the invisible door of no return

 

2.

 

Then the Era of Demolition will begin

my son and I will not appear at that promotion

 

there will not be a father and a son

only the saints and cursed

as a warning to the race

created by Epicurus, Leucippus, and Democritus

 

After the Era of Demolition only Adam and Eve

after Adam and Eve only bows and arrows

in the middle of the universe

I am waiting for the Baptism of Arrows

 

Man, the time has come

prepare bows and arrows

set up barricades, set up barriers

 

man, the time has come

draw bows to shoot arrows at my signal

let us start the Baptism of Arrows

 

man, shoot the arrows

 

I am right here

among the ones who will survive

and the ones who will not

I am watching the Baptism of Arrows of innocent boys

 

The last war is roaring

as I am singing verses about peace

accompanied by the violin

I am jumping over exhausted forests

I keep jumping over exhausted rivers

loose bows and poisonous arrows

 

the Earth is again an infernal planet

Eureka

let her wait

 

Earth, have not your massive cross-shaped rocks

turned black of old shame for centuries

why do not you recover yourself Earth

have not human bodies fertilized you well

 

the last war is roaring, bundles of arrows are whistling

 

gods of love and peace destroy distributors of arrows

let your era begin

is it not distressing to you that a human being is a target

that a human being is a target

the target of another human being

 

That year a Goddess of Love

will reunite the children at the Square of Equality

all will shout one slogan, all will carry the same sign

down with bows and arrows

all will shout in harmony long live love and clean air

 

all quiet in the Western front that year

in my native country rocks will grow again

the earth will be planet continent

 

amour vincit omnia

 

 

Toxicity

 

How about toxic things?

We complained to the authorities

We often complained

About the strong and disgusting smell

We often complained about unusual garbage

We complained

Nobody cared

Finally, bureaucracy investigates the complaints

About the disgusting smell and unusual garbage

Everything is toxic

Everything is risky for people's health

Nobody is taking any measures

People are frusterated

People are tired of being ignored

People are afraid

People have no money for that

No money, no money at all

What are people's hopes?

What are the hopes of bureaucracy?

Why would somebody put toxic materials at the children's playground?

Why would somebody put toxic materials where people live?

Is this all that is left for people???

Toxins and thorns in their sides

Disgusting smell and unusual garbage

This is all that is left for people

People cannot do anything

People would like only to protect themselves,

But they have no money

How about bureaucracy?

How does bureaucracy treat us all???

Is there anything left for you folks?

The only hope for you folks is to pay taxes and wait

 

Pay and wait

 

Wait.. wait.. wait...

 

Everything comes to those who wait

---

Setu, July 2023 :: Climate Change, Eco-activism, Whisperings of Social Justice