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Contests : War Poetry Contest : Past Winners : 2004 : Diane E. Dees
UPDATE ON AFGHANISTAN
The girls in Khost eat poison biscuits
carefully prepared by the Taliban;
their mothers set themselves on fire,
though liberators can't smell the smoke.
Carefully prepared by the Taliban,
the fires rage across the towns,
though liberators can't smell the smoke
because they cover up their faces.
The fires rage. Across the towns,
the women's scars stay hidden from view
because they cover up their faces,
still afraid to face the mobs.
The women's scars stay hidden from view,
unseen by victorious liberators
still afraid to face the mobs
that stand outside in seething rage.
Unseen by victorious liberators,
schools still shut out groups of girls
that stand outside. In seething rage,
brutal policemen patrol the shops and
schools. Still shut-out groups of girls
are raped and inspected for chastity.
Brutal policemen patrol. The shops and
streets, where Afghan daughters
are raped and inspected for chastity,
look much the same as their mothers'
streets. Where Afghan daughters,
not allowed to talk or work or sing,
look much the same as their mothers.
Their mothers set themselves on fire.
Not allowed to talk or work or sing,
the girls in Khost eat poison biscuits.
This poem was a finalist in the 2004 War Poetry Contest sponsored by Winning Writers. Copyright is reserved to the author.
About Diane E. Dees
Diane E. Dees is a psychotherapist and writer in Covington, Louisiana. Her short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction, and political commentary have appeared in many publications. Two of Diane's poems recently won 2nd Prizes in the annual Artists Embassy International Dancing Poetry Contest, and two of her poems just won Honorable Mention prizes in the annual Writer's Digest Rhyming Poetry Contest. She recently served as Poet in Residence at Spillway Review, and was also recently a featured poet at Poetry Super Highway. Diane and her husband, Orvin Tobiason, are the webmasters of princesscafe.com, the world's only virtual rock and roll restaurant, and Diane's blog is at thedeesdiversion.blogspot.com. Her poetry is forthcoming in Hazmat Review, Out of Line, Mobius, and Tiger's Eye.
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