So many eulogies
I tried already
I wanted to write
yesterday when
they found you
dismembered like
Túpaj Katari
You were my hero
What to say?
what words for
the deed?
what words
for the dead and
the living?
The Arabic you
spoke like a
second skin
¡Ay! mi amor ¿será
así siempre? gente
como vos, humana,
hermosa, muerta en
una guerra de barbarie
Our humanity-
what’s left-let’s
make an offering of
song for our shining star
burnt out in Babylon
Margaret Hassan-
how do we go on?
we must not collapse
as you never did
But who will repay
this debt?
What we
owe to those who
do and die
without safety
Patron saint reborn
we mourn you we
love you like our
mother we are
your orphaned
children bereft
and adrift in this
beastly sea of death
FORREST HYLTON is conducting doctoral research in history in Bolivia. He can be reached at forresthylton@hotmail.com.