The River of Babylon

 

I dip my feet in tranquil waters

as I sit on the banks of the River of Babylon

Yet on the horizon I see a stormy sea

where dark heavy laden clouds resound

with the sound of thunder

In the far distance and out of sight

the incessant rumble of gun fire brings fear

My heart is troubled by images of suffering

of those whose homes are reduced to rubble

Those whose belongings are scattered in disarray

who stand in homes now the shattered skeletons of war

People huddled beneath the ground by day and night

children and the elderly cringe and cry in fear

Their anguish and suffering have become ours

 we see only as remote bystanders the scenes of horror

I sit far away with a sense of impotence and sorrow

as hearts and homes are daily broken.

If only I could invite them to be with me

dipping their feet in the tranquil waters

by the River of Babylon