by
Pavel Chichikov on Dec 12, 2011 in
Poetry
The River of Egypt
They build a dam of sandstone blocks –
Manganese washed from the rocks
Turns the run a bloody brown
So that the snakes and minnows drown
Ferns, the pool where minnows swim
A summer refuge cool and dim
Red and sterile now until
The engineers have flushed the fill
But if the stream were flushed with blood
As human rage is wont to do
Who will remove the stain, or could?
Who will the damaged world renew?
Pavel
October 9, 2011
Pavel Chichikov is a Washington DC-based poet and photographer. He has written for both the secular and the Catholic press on issues as diverse as Russian nuclear weapons systems, Olympic athletes, and miracles. His books include From Here to Babylon: Poems by Pavel Chichikov, Lion Sun: Poems by Pavel Chichikov, Mysteries and Stations in the Manner of Ignatius, and Animal Kingdom. Pavel may be heard reading his works on catholicradiointernational.com and on pavelreads.com. His poetry regularly appears on "The Poetry of Pavel Chichikov."
