An Insignificant Response
I think I heard on the local news
That some of us are going
In addition to the national aid
That I hope is on its way
The UN and EU are already there
With the UK and Russia
The numbers keep increasing
The dead and wounded
Hospitals, themselves damaged,
Are working at more-than-full
Capacity
There is broken glass and blood
All over the city
Like a shining sheet, say
Those who are there
Many miles away,
The blast was heard
Followed by a sonic wave that
Literally knocked people
From a standing posture down
It was a mushroom cloud
For a non-nuclear blast
A little prophecy at work
There are protests
In anger at what happened
Drawing police with tear gas
And rubber bullets
I used to think that could only happen
In another nation from people who
Fear their grip on power
But we have followed precedent
In self-styled, hoped-for despotism
So that
Everything that’s helpful is delayed
Well, we’ll get there, too
And I hope we stay there for a while
To help, most of all
Maybe to learn something, too
About our global neighbors
About the sheen of darkened glass
That covers us
Dusting by laying dust
Over our light
An experiment in democracy
For a few centuries, now
That can’t help but be a model
One way or another
Pray, help Lebanon
Let your angels work in Beirut
It is a sectarian
Sometimes the Christian fight the Muslims
Sometimes it goes the other way
Now, it should not matter
And, inshallah, it should not matter
Ever again
C L Couch
By Oren Rozen – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92908578
Tel Aviv City Hall, 5 August
clcouch123 
August 8, 2020 at 7:24 pm
I heard that there are 18 different religious/ethic groups taking it in turns to make a mess of Lebanon. The same families hand power from father to sun, and the money goes into their pockets while the people are tyranised by the Hezbollah. What an utter corrupt mess. Yet when you look at it closely, it resembles so many other ‘democracies’.
August 11, 2020 at 2:26 am
So the governance is a corrupt mess. And, you’re right, this isn’t unique. So this is when we want to shake people, cosmically–in a big way–and say, Do your job! People are hurt and dying.
August 11, 2020 at 9:31 am
The entire government has been force out now. Let’s hope they manage to find some decent individuals prepared to try and sort out the mess, and keep the different religious factions out of it. There are enough billionaires around to help out financially, if they wanted to or if anyone could get them to pay any taxes.
August 8, 2020 at 7:46 pm
A tragic event, Christopher. When will we ever learn?
August 11, 2020 at 2:28 am
Great, sad question, Len. A terrifying, lingering disease doesn’t seem to wake us up. Or a horrible explosion right in front of us, globally speaking. What will do it?
August 9, 2020 at 4:31 pm
Tragic news abounds. May there be peace. 💔
August 11, 2020 at 2:29 am
Peace would be wonderful and salvific. I tend to pray for that more than any other quality or quantity.
August 11, 2020 at 2:56 am
I’m praying with you.