Explaining the world to a 14-year-old
By Fan S. Ogilvie
We are walking outside to fill bird feeders —
a perfect time to talk about Hamas
and the Israeli bombing of Gaza —
events he knows little or nothing about.
I go back 6,000 years and to Abraham,
bring the story forward with today’s
evil war a story of paths that lead
to separate gods separate beliefs
no sharing or love between the tribes
all of which leads to displacement —
of land of peoples of purpose.
Asi pours the birdseed into the yellow
bucket to carry to the feeders.
He is silent after hearing the story
of carnage — deeply soulful he looks at me
“Do you think there is any fried rice left?”
Fan Ogilvie has published two books of poems, “You” and “Easinesses Found”; several chapbooks, including “The Other Side of the Hill” and “In this Place”; and a memoir, “Knot a Life.” She lives in West Tisbury with Robin Motherwell Ogilvie, her Irish Russell terrier, and her husband Donald. She facilitates the Cleaveland House Poets poetry workshop, and reads poems regularly at the M.V. Center for Living.
Poets with a connection to Martha’s Vineyard are encouraged to submit poems to Laura Roosevelt at ldroosevelt@gmail.com.
