by Valerie Bridgeman Davis

Poets are speaking of love
and lovers they have known
wished they had known
lovers they have been
wish they had been

and bombs are dropping
over the heads of children
in Kosovo
making little distinctions
between Albanians and Serbians

Diplomats are
diplomatically suggesting
it will soon be over,
though at the Kremlin
the official line is:
It may be the beginning of
World War III

Three world wars in one century,
wars to end all wars,
and poets speak of love,
but not of Matthew
hanging on a fence
burned, beaten, left
to die of being different,

And some Baptist preacher
shows up to the trial
of the men who did the deed
with signs declaring
Matthew went to hell

Except, I don't believe
the signs since
all martyrs get a free pass
to glory.

Matthew died senselessly
and for the cause,
a symbol of the sickness
called sameness, a fear
that keeps the bombs
bursting over Kosovo,
orange lines on the streets
of Jasper, Texas,
strange fruit on the fence
in Wyoming,
and poets speak of love.

©1999 Valerie Bridgeman Davis
Valerie Bridgeman Davis, poet, teacher, minister, and mentor, suffered a mild heart attack on March 13, 1999 after participating in a training run for a marathon scheduled for May 23 to raise funds for the Leukemia Society. Heart surgery on March 25 corrected a birth defect, but left Valerie with $30,000 in medical bills. A fundraiser organized by Dr. Rosalee Martin, professor at Huston-Tillotson, and poet Vicky Charleston was held at Huston-Tillotson College on April 24, but help is still needed. A tax exempt fund has been created at the Banah Church where Valerie is a minister. Send donations to the church at:

BANAH CHURCH
111 W WILLIAM CANNON DR
AUSTIN TX 78745

Write "Valerie Davis Medical Fund" on the "For" line.