Scott Owens

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Letter to Ahmadinejad

It will never be time to forget.
In Rwanda, they forgot,
and a million died.
In Darfur half that many.
In Bosnia a mere 50,000.
It will never be time to forget.

But even more, how dare anyone
commit the unspeakable sin of denial.
None would deny Pahlavi torture
and executions, Khomeini’s dis-
solution of political prisoners,
Iraqi gassing of Persian and Kurd.

Hush! I want to say.
Do not dishonor the dead.
What kind of man would rob
unmarked graves, would take the last
thing left to them, martyrdom, testimony,
the right to at least exist as symbol.


Bio:
My fifth book of poetry, Paternity, is due out in mid-February from Main Street Rag.



(author retains copyright)