Widows And Warriors Poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

Widows and Warriors


On the plateau a file of women, all in black,

war widows waiting to be given tea, bread

and rice from two men in a pickup truck.

The men spoke hoarsely, scurrying them on,

found their work shameful, would rather have

been up on the mountain fighting, thought

the women superfluous. They had given birth

to sons who now fought in war and to daughters

married to warriors on the mountain.

The women didn’t look the men in the eyes,

spoke softly and briefly amongst themselves

about the health of their grandchildren. They

had miles to walk, back down to meagre soil

and skinny goats.

Soul to Soul is a literary journal
Editor/Publisher: Joneve McCormick
Written by Jan Oskar Hansen