Libya: African Jewel

Snatched away –
blood and sand
alloyed to lifeless aridity:
add water. A man-made
river stolen, siphoned

assets in frozen accounts,
darkness unpenetrated
by the electric gaze
of a once buzzing grid,
spark snuffed.

The Greeks knew this:
tragedies have heroes
and death, covalent bond –
a binary truth
to build myths upon.

Here the wind dries tears,
breaks skin like stone
and stone like steel.
Still, man and martyr stand,
faces to an unforgiving sun.

And with hands that once
broke bread
tilled soil
mended wounds,
they hoist the Green Flag

And declare:
We are here.

Eric Draitser is an independent political analyst and host of CounterPunch Radio. You can find his exclusive content including articles, podcasts, audio commentaries, poetry and more at patreon.com/ericdraitser. You can follow him on Twitter @stopimperialism.