[Jim Moonan]

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I was unsure where to start this thread.

I've always enjoyed the idea of found poetry. It has a quixotic quality to it that lends itself well to transcendence — my favorite state of being : )

But this one tears at the heart. The past two months have been a soul-searching time for the world, I think. That is, if you let it be. I am in Mexico, and I attended a powerfully insightful presentation by veteran Middle East news reporter Martin Fletcher (he now lives here in San Miguel Allende) on the subject of the current iteration of the Israeli/Palestinian war. I came away knowing three times as much as I did going into it.

During his presentation Fletcher mentioned a book written in 2020 by Irish writer Colum McCann entitled, Voices of Apeirogon and when I googled it I found this incredible webnaire discussion that took place just a week ago about the book and about the hope that lies waiting to be discovered. Truly worth a listen: Voices of Apeirogon: An Intimate Conversation with Colum McCann and Bereaved Fathers

As the webnaire came to a close one of the participants told a story, which I translated word for word into this found poem:


Parable: The Palestinian and the Jew Meet
(found poetry)

As the woman approached the border
her eyes widened in amazement to see
the same familiar Israeli soldier standing guard
at the checkpoint.

“You are still here?”
“Yes.” the soldier said.
“But why are you still here?
I shot you yesterday.
I killed you yesterday.”

“Yes, you did." the soldier said.
"But I am like you. I forget to die.”



The entirety of the discussion was paradigm deepening for me. Definitely worth a watch/listen.


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