Katrina Kaye

The wildflowers will not survive.

A mumble and murmur stomping
the surface of the earth has displaced

their fragile roots.

The smoke will rise,

scatter,             stumble in the wind.

The gentle opening of petals to sun
will be smothered by air clouded over
by a thick explosion of bravado.

The wildflowers will not survive,

but they might return.

Once the dust settles,
a few seeds may scatter in the wind
in search of new bed to lay
their roots,                    to rebuild.

In time:

the rain will return,

as will the wind.

as will the flowers;

just as surely as war,

and explosion               and the uprooting

            of innocent life

will return.

We forget,                    in our windowsills

            and sunshine,

even if we were planted in this spot for generations
a glorious tragedy is always close by.

“In the Wake of War” was previously published by Pictura Journal (2024).