Peace And Cafe Au Lait Poem by David McLansky

Oh to sit at a small café
At a small table at break of day
In the city of Light in the brightening dawn
Watching workers scurry on;
To their jobs, their travaille
Oh to sit at a small café
At a small table at break of day
In the city of Paris in the brightening dawn
Watching workers scurry on;
To their jobs, their travaille
Over
a café au lait and citron pie.

Now cobble stones are painted red
The blood of students, the sudden dead;
Laying in glass under bloodied sheets
their scattered boots and naked feet.
The boisterous youths, with high five hands,
The dancing, youth with college plans
The eager youth, the perfect teeth,
You steal my faith, my innocent beliefs.

A terrorist’s family should be arrested,
Their DNA should be sequestered

Let them be hounded by their mothers,
Put in a cell with sisters and brothers.
May this loss of liberty,
Extend to their extended family.
Thus may those who have the power to teach,
Keep their children within their reach
Make them reluctant to use such speech
That inflames the heart to preach
DEATH AND MURDER like a common leech

But the cobble stones are painted red
The blood of students, the sudden dead: ;

The boisterous youths, with high five hands,
The dancing, youth with college plans
The eager youth, the perfect teeth,
Les enfants of faith, of innocent beliefs.

A terrorist’s family should be arrested,
Their DNA should be sequesteredd
Let them be hounded by their mothers,
Put in a cell with father, sisters and brothers.
May this loss of liberty,
Extend to their family.
Thus may those who have the power to teach,
Keep their children well on a leaseh
Make them reluctant to use speech
That inflames the heart to preach
DEATH AND MURDER like a common civilized leech.