Laid Bare V
The fifth poem in the Skendong Laid Bare series reflects on the emotional toll of witnessing war through television and news reports. Blending personal testimony with images of suffering, it explores grief, helplessness, and the lasting impact of conflict beyond the battlefield.
I’m scared to switch over
From EastEnders to Al Jazeera.
Even though I think I should.
Last time I did they took
Me inside a darkened room
Where premature babies
In ill-fitting nappies
Lay in rows on a makeshift
Incubated floor
Lined with foil to warm them
Should they die of cold.
Their rib cages stick out
From their skin.
No fluid, heat or oxygen.
The screaming jolted me
From 2,000 miles away –
Quiver my lips
And tears burst forth.
This critical situation
Affords the frantic doctor
To shoo the camera
And when it returns
The tots are wrapped
In turquoise blankets.
Fond memories fade.
I deeply inhale the sorrow.
I ring my brother
And ask if he saw the news.
He said he couldn’t follow
For he’s just stopped crying.
I ring my sister
She said she couldn’t follow,
She’s just stopped crying.
In a brutal 40 days
The occupier collapsed
A place of healing
To the extent where
The number of dead
Cannot be tallied.
Thousands of explosive tonnes
Equivalent of two dropped
Nuclear
Bombs
Alongside
Merkava tanks and guns
Intensify
The screeching screams.
We can hear them.
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