A Pace Rainbow Flag - Burnt In The Diarising. Poem by Alistair Plint

In year 1.

a soft white cloth
offered as flags
in peace, tranquillity,
and surrender

In year 2.

branches of olive leaves
ripped from trees
offered
on bent knees
of dreaming
rainbows
-promises of
saving floods of horror

In year 3.

white doves
in abundance
wearing rings of
forgiveness;
their wings fluttering
in take off
and flight

In year 4.

white Poppy's
sown, grown
nurtured, watered,
and loved to
a garden of beauty in
modern friendship

In year 5.

rifles broken;
scattered accross
barren ground
in peace with
resistance to war
and hate
in familiar
homes of hearts

In year 6.

campaigned the scripture
"Love one another"
tattooing John 13 verse 34
across black souls
faces of hate
and dark black eyes
in the V
between upright fingers
spread confidently

In year 7.

the tattoo ink is spent
on the covers
of that un-opened book
rifles all broken
flower beds frozen in winter's ice
white petals of past
now dry and worn

doves have lost direction
choosing south for winter
the forrest burnt down
Olive trees now
charcoal in their
desolation
white flags ripped
to dish-cloths

having made 644
white origami cranes
before depleting paper
with broken
pointer fingers
for Sadako Sasaki's
last bed-wish

all hail
new instalments
of family
-Hiroshima



[·]