Is Reality Real

The Mothers of War

A rondeau redoublé

They wanted to bake bread that day, to sweep the floors and make the beds. They heard the rumble far away, and their hearts filled with fear and dread.

They swept up their children instead. And as they packed, wiped tears away, afraid of the journey ahead. They wanted to bake bread that day.

They hugged their children to allay the fears building inside their heads. In their hearts, they wanted to stay, to sweep the floors and make the beds.

They knew the road they’d have to tread would stretch through night and the next day. Have to start now to get ahead. They heard the rumble far away.

They passed an abandoned café. Choking back tears they must not shed, closed their eyes and began to pray. and their hearts filled with fear and dread.

They joined more mothers and were led by fear to escape the affray, farther from their homes and their beds. They left their floors unswept that day. They wanted to bake bread.

An Accident of Birth

A twittle

they wanted an ordinary life but by an accident of birth live in a land buried in strife now a passport defines their worth

These poems were written in response to the Paper Poetry prompt for October, “Is Reality Real?”. Nothing about the atrocities of war should be real. Megalomaniacs seek control over a piece of dirt and slaughter human beings to get it. The women in the collage represent the innocents from war-torn countries all over the globe who want to live ordinary lives.

*Image descriptions:

Top Left: Ukraine “According to the UN refugee agency, more than thirteen million people, or nearly a third of Ukraine’s prewar population, have been displaced since the (Russian) invasion.” Council on Foreign Relations, June 8, 2023 Center Left: Afghanistan “While in past years humanitarian needs have been driven mainly by conflict, the key drivers of humanitarian need in 2023 include drought, climate change, protection threats (particularly for women and girls) and the economic crisis. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimated at the beginning of 2023 that a record 28.3 million people will need humanitarian and protection assistance this year…” Center for Disaster Philantropy October 19, 2023 Center Left: Venezuela “…Venezuela has taken a drastic turn within the last decade, facing significant challenges due to political unrest, economic decline, and acute shortages of vital resources such as food, medicine, and electricity. The resulting crisis has driven millions of people from Venezuela in search of food, better living conditions, and work opportunities beyond its borders. As of early August 2023, over 7.7 million Venezuelans were residing outside of the country…” World Vision, September 21, 2023 Top Right: Gaza (Palestine) “Just one week after the latest fighting between Israel and Hamas began, one million people inside Gaza were forced to flee their homes,” according to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. “A mother named Rana, who is trapped in Gaza with her family, told ABC News that she and her children go to sleep every night in fear that they will never wake up again.” ABC News, October 18, 2023 Bottom Right: Sudan “Fighting between two rival military factions erupted in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, on 15 April. The violence quickly spread to other parts of the country and continues, despite repeated announcements of ceasefires. Nearly 6 million people have been forced to flee since mid-April — an average of 1 million people per month.” The UN Refugee Agency, October 19, 2023

We who live in countries that are currently free of such madness need to fall on our knees and be grateful that we live in privilege. Never take your privilege for granted. Vote for democracy and freedom. I would say that I will get off my soapbox, but that is never going to happen. I cannot keep quiet when hate and injustice abound.

If you would like to respond to the prompt, here is the link. Thank you, Indubala Kachhawa, for the prompt.

Thank you, Carolyn Hastings, for your gentle editing. ❤️

A note on Poetic Form:

The rondeau redoublé is kind of like a mega-sized rondeau. It was invented by the 16th-century French poet Clément Marot.

Here are the basic guidelines for this poetic form:

25 lines, comprised mostly of quatrains (or four-line stanzas) Lines are usually eight syllables long Each line of the first quatrain is a refrain Rhyme scheme: A1B1A2B2/babA1/abaB1/babA2/abaB2/babaR The final “R” line represents a rentrement, which means the first couple words or first phrase of the opening line is used.

Robert Lee Brewer May 15, 2020 Writer’s Digest

For everything you always wanted to know about twittles, Carolyn Hastings is your definitive source: