Sunday, September 6, 2009

A Lullaby for UN Worker Lila, Beyond the Blue of the Sky As She Prepares To Sleep in New York

All right, then. Doff the sky-blue helmet to the UN-derbelly
Of the war cynosures, Lil, the Maccoa duck’s bill can wait
For the dawning of a new day—the urge to change the world

Can hang fire. For now, let New York hoods’ sex traffickers
Shake on in their big, un-espied-on obscurities beyond the
First World, ignore basic need for subsidies on corn all over

Resulting in high currency assigned to cheap food. The daily
Massacre against our own poor, subtle genocide, Lil, is not
Without its accompanying lilac protests, Lil, although, Lil,

Sometimes outrageous as anti-Bush shoes . . . but we’ll not
Choose Sylvia Plath and her tulips in Ariel, plotting the pith
While the kids nap. The human development in your dreams,

With mortal delinquents descending like sheep down Amartya
Sen’s hill for an attack from the flanks of the capability well?
Mark time, Lil. Let Sen, seen since on a page on freedom, Lil,

Expanding freedoms, float now above you distributing wealth,
Equitably, sure, along with social services exploring, Lil,
Capacities under our helmets, little sis. O sleep as a bud now.

Tomorrow, window lilacs shall hope anew for sky-blue bliss!

1 comment:

  1. Saved this already, Jo, for the July issue of PPB. Painfully cynical, as usual, very Jo de Veyra. Will this permission enable me to raid your blog for poems from time to time?

    Marne

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