The clouds and the stars didn't wage this war <br />the brooks gave no information <br />if the mountains spewed stones of fire into the river <br />it was not taking sides <br />the raindrop faintly swaying under the leaf <br />had no political opinions <br /> <br />and if there were a house <br />filled with backed-up raw sewage <br />or poisoned those who lived there <br />with slow fumes, over years <br />the houses were not at war <br />nor did the tinned up buildings <br /> <br />intend to refuse shelter <br />to homeless old women and roaming children <br />they had no policy to keep from roaming <br />or dying, no, cities were not the problem <br />the bridges were non-partisan <br />the freeways burned, but not with hatred <br /> <br />Even miles of barbed-wire <br />stretched around crouching temporary huts <br />designed to keep the unwanted <br />at a safe distance, out of sight <br />even the boards, that had to absorb <br />year upon year, so many human sounds <br /> <br />so many depths of vomit, tears slow-soaking blood <br />had not offered themselves for this <br />The trees didn't volunteer to be cut into boards <br />nor the thorns for tearing flesh <br />Look around at all of it <br /> <br />and ask whose signature <br />is stamped on the orders, traced <br />in the corner of the building plans <br />Ask where the illiterate, big-bellied <br />women were, the drunks and the crazies, <br />the ones you fear most of all: ask where you were.<br /><br />Adrienne Rich<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/for-the-record/
