3 Responses to “After 42 Years”

1. huxley says:

   October 24, 2011 at 11:07 pm

   For those who prefer, as I do, to read a poem on the page, here’s the LA Times:

   After 42 years
   By Khaled Mattawa
   Tue Oct 25 2011 12:00 AM

   Five years old when the dictator took over in a coup “”
   curfew shut our city down
   Bloodless coup, they said “”
   The many who thought this could be good.
   The dictator, a young man, a shy recluse assumed the helm, bent in piety,
   the dead sun of megalomania hidden in his eyes.
   Could not go to the store to buy bread or newspaper,
   could not leave home, visit friends,
   the radio thundering hatred, retching blood-curdling song “”
   Signs that went unread
   Factories built and filched, houses stolen, newspapers shut down,
   decades of people killed, 42 years.
   But that’s all over now “”
   How can you say over when it took 42 years “”
   I was five when the dictator took my brother away
   Over now, 42 years, must look ahead.
   His face half blood-covered, half smirking
   Like Batman’s Joker,
   hands raised, fingers pressed together upward
   Saying wait, calm down, wait

2. Keith Kloor says:

   October 25, 2011 at 6:26 am

   That is an except. It is a long poem, with graphic parts, so it’s doubtful a newspaper would print the whole thing.  

3. harrywr2 says:

   October 25, 2011 at 9:27 am

   Full poem at the LA Times here.
   http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-mattawa-poem-kadafi-20111025,0,2358174,full.story
   It defaults on the LA Times website to 5 pages and it’s less then clear there are another 4 pages to read.
   The audio clip is better. I would have pulled off the road to listen as well.