Poems on Politics
Love Extinguishes The Pain
A Painting by Barbara Leventhal-Stern
The birds are dead;
they float on their backs.
The elephant sprays cool
water on the woman
in flames.
She is burning
burning in the fire.
Her mouth is burning;
they pulled
her gold crowns.
Her pelvis is burning.
All she wanted
was a bed
with white sheets;
they mated her
with monkeys.
She is burning
in the fire
of the ovens.
The birds are dead,
and the human-eyed
elephant sprays her flaming body.
Because I am a dreamer,
the human-eyed elephant
visits me in my dreams,
brings me
the burning woman’s
black shoes.
Only her shoes.
:: Design by Waterman
:: Logo woodcut by Barbara Leventhal-Stern
