Landscapes Of Ironies Poem by RIC BASTASA

there is still this little girl
with a jar on her head
fetching water from the river

there is still this boy who
climbs the tree and gathers
honey from the combs of the bees

meanwhile skyscrapers occupy
your landscapes
nuclear reactors teeming
on the valleys

meanwhile great eagles rise
to the skies
small birds on the plains
remain their prey

meanwhile schemes for wars
lurk inside the top secret files
spies dress themselves as
businessmen manipulating
prime markets

there are still cows grazing on the fields
of hay
farmers waiting for the rain
their ladies still choosing the seeds
to be sown again
this coming planting season