this diary is dedicated to all who suffer because of war and other disasters
we honor courage in all its forms
cross-posted at DailyKos, Booman Tribune, European Tribune, and My Left Wing.
image and poem below the fold
Iraqi men sit waiting for a grave to be dug to bury a loved one killed in yesterday’s suicide attack in the village of Thyaba, close to the northern town of Mukdadiyah, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Baghdad. At least 120 people, including five US soldiers, were killed in bomb attacks across Iraq, fuelling sectarian tensions as the country looks to form a new government.
(AFP/Ali Yussef)
Bone Song
by Tom Lavazzi
It doesn’t turn anymore
the worn stone
the seasons halted at winter
I remember
when two bones, rubbed together
made people laugh
and weep at times
now, many rest
like broken marionettes
in shallow pits
It will always be cold
The new bread
common and tasteless
is no longer made here
warm like a cat
And vacant carriages
with wheels deaf as faces
never leave the pale houses
Yet I stay a moment longer
at the table
looking at the waxed and wired skull
wondering how to answer it
The eyes, no eyes
already have begun
to reclaim
– – –
put a meaningful magnet on your car or metal filing cabinet
read Ilona’s important diary at MLW – Returning Vet PTSD – One Soldier’s Story as well her comprehensive series on PTSD and Iraq War vets.
view the pbs newshour silent honor roll (with thanks to jimstaro at booman.)
take a private moment to light one candle among many (with thanks to TXSharon)
support Veterans for Peace
support the Iraqi people
support the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC)
support CARE
support the victims of torture
remember the fallen
support Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors – TAPS
support Gold Star Families for Peace
support the fallen
support the troops
support Iraq Veterans Against the War
support Military families Speak Out
support the troops and the Iraqi people
read This is what John Kerry did today, the diary by lawnorder that prompted this series
read Riverbend’s Bagdhad Burning
read Dahr Jamail’s Iraq Dispatches
read Today in Iraq
witness every day
