Tuesday, June 12, 2012


The Siege and the Killings in Homs, Houla, Hama (Syria)
(this poem is dedicated to the unrelenting resistance of the Syrian people against State oppression despite murderous carnage)

-by Tontongi

A Macabre indecency
a systematic barrage of fire
symmetric even in horror
cast a specter of death
all over the city, 
maiming and killing
from the sure distance of power
power of the artillery
power of the State control
power of State immunity.

Removing the world’s agenda venom
against everything Syrian-like,
this Boston Globe’s article speaks volumes:
“During a terrifying two minutes ...
At least 22 bodies, including that of 6-year old
Mohammad Yahia Al-Wees were recovered...
And amid the rubble on the stairway of the
ground floor, 10 yards from the door and possibly
safety, lay the bodies of two foreign journalists,
Marie Colvin, and Remi Achilk...”

A macabre indecency,
but an irony of fate and history
that the Romans’ wretched,
the terrorist of time past,
special guest villain in Others-haters’ show
and in the warmongers’ holy book
that includes offspring of Saladin and of Genghis Khan,
offspring of Toussaint and the shoeless fighters
is now killing his own 
in cold bloody indifference...

Conscience doesn’t discriminate
even when petrified by terror and madness,
even when horrified by fear of the unknown,
fear of the uncertainties of finitude;
fear of the cafard, the blues,
the blue blues of Macabral;
fear of saying the impolitely
correct thing that disturbs the gentry
instead of seeking clarity.
Still conscience doesn’t let fear
silence her for ever.

What’s wrong with calling for freedom
says this father whose two sons were slaughtered
early in the morning without much warning:
Freedom for the people! Freedom of conscience!
he says even though for his sons it was too late.

Conscience must not discriminate
regardless the manner the killing was performed
be it done by drones on your family villages away
or on your neighbor next door in large urban centers
like in Homs and Houla in the heart of Syria
where kids were massacred like toads
just the same the indignation should be.
Killing must not be an option
especially for a powerful State;
it should be in jure or de facto
the never acceptable mischief...

On a certain Wednesday of hell
More than 40 women and children were among
78 killed in Mazraat al-Qubeir, near Hama,
killed by remote barrage of the artillery;
those killings from the sure distance of power
power of the blunt interests of the State’s minions
power of immunity of the Syrian army
— must now cease and desist.
The people of Homs and Houla and Hama must live free!


Tontongi, June 2012