two poems by Adam Parry

Earth in the Window

Steer a course.
The moon behind, Earth ahead
rattling's getting worse
and the engines dead.

Suspended on a thread
of space and time, balanced perfectly
a juggler on a tightrope
life and death ahead leaving death behind
in the airlessness all around.
Somehow, as if the end of the film has already been seen,
we know we'll get home
though all hope has gone
if we keep the Earth in the window-
our home, our hive, our first love-
then hope is never gone.


MEGGIDO

Be at peace my love, my love
my second hand.
Sleep by Bibbylos and be forgiven
by the amnesiac of time.

There was a war there long ago, where
no TV crews came
or aliens from the sky
at the last moment saving the day.

my love you
saved the day with a smile.

In the ash and dusk of the
Plains of Yizreel where mighty Powers
crashed and set this
world ablaze.
With your face, your pretty face
looking from my head
I walked forth
to either victory or defeat.