Aaron Kiely

they say they are “pounding” “unabated fury” they say they are “pounding” I’ve been counting the days and I’ve been saying prayers three nights two days I’ve been counting days bless the people of Afghanistan I’ve been counting days and each day “pounding” six nights five days they are in the sixth night the morning after the sixth night I pray and each day “pounding” bless the people of Afghanistan at least one of us is with you ten nights! “second week” “intense strikes” “rocked Kabul” they say “rocked Kabul” ten nights dawn after the tenth night “rock the capital” for ten nights and nine days “round the clock” I’ve been praying light is in you this is not light at least one of us is with you light is in you this is not light eleventh night “relentless” eleven nights “a red cross building, UN workers, the village of Karam, shattering windows of shops, residential areas, lost his wife, mother and brother, crater in the street, a child” “relentless” eleven nights ten days midnight of the eleventh night two in the morning (Aaron Kiely, Manhattan, 10/17/01)