For a new year

(dedicated to all Presidents and Monarchs)

Set these pictures beside each other:
land desecrated, destroyed, desolated;
child in my street
leaping over the puddles, singing; 
Destruction and Hope.
I do not know what God is up to!
But we chose our rulers 
long ago we asked for, wanted, Kings,
preferred the gold 
to what we could not touch nor see,
rather a sabre than a beating heart.
Tyrants and despots
govern our weeping lands.
In arrogance we grabbed,
believing we grasped power.

That child lives down my street
goes to a nearby school
I know his name: Emanuel
black-faced, tight curly hair,
he leaps along the wet street,
singing — child of immigrants
on his way home…