Our friend Vicki Johnson has sent Voices the following 2 poems about our other friends Um Haider and her son Mostafa who live in Basra, Iraq.

Mostafa

Mostafa was four years old.
Basra, Iraq, January 25, 1999.
It was Monday morning. Nine-thirty.

An American missile
created a river in the desert
of blood and his family’s tears.

Shrapnel shredded his body and hand.
His brother Haider died beside him.

Mostafa
entered into the river of blood to follow Haider.

But his mother swam with him through the currents

stay
    stay alive
          stay alive

Now Mostafa laughs as a child
and glares as a man.

Where do they go,
these rivers of children’s blood?

War
has
wrought
a flood.

Vicki Johnson vlj[at]interconnect.com
Photos by Alan Pogue and Mostafa

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Planning Mostafa’s Marriage

You are only eight
But let’s not wait

Let’s arrange your future life
Let’s pick out the ideal wife

She must ride a bike very fast
Help make every joyful moment last

Hold your hands when you are sad
Let you sometimes yell or be a little bad

Understand your bright brown eyes
Play with your children under peaceful skies

Remember your mother’s great, grave love
Share it with another, a great, brave love.

Vicki Johnson