Editor’s note: “The Children” one of the latest works of Haverhill native and poet Raymond Comeau speaks to both the horror of war and the hope of Christmas.
The timely poem acknowledges the tragedies and devastation in Gaza and Ukraine, but extends calming, if not thought-provoking, words.
Comeau, now of Belmont, is a retired dean and current lecturer at Harvard University Extension School. He is also a trustee, emeritus, of the John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace in Haverhill.
THE CHILDREN
Where are they now
The children
Mashed
Like bloody potatoes
In Gaza Ukraine
And hellholes around the world
And buried in boxes as shabby as war
Then gone
Except for a few grieving hearts
But where are they now
Would you believe
That each is a sun
In heaven
Singing and praying
Like the angels they are
For us
©Raymond Comeau December 2024