a bomb crater
where makeshift tents once stood ...
the snow moon
The Bamboo Hut, 1, 2021
Chen-ou Liu
Commentary by Jay Friedenberg: This very powerful poem by Chen-ou Liu tells a story by the remnants of events. The migrants have been forced to leave their homes because of war or civil unrest. Their camp was then destroyed. We don't know if the bombs fell on the evacuees while they were on the site or not, leaving two alternate interpretations. Either they were killed and injured in place or moved on before the attack. In either case we are confronted with forced change. These poor refugees lost their homes and loved ones. They must now live in a state of fear and uncertainty. The last line with the snow moon shining ends the poem with a chilling effect. There is also a subtle reference to the natural craters on the moon that connects back to the bomb crater of the first line... excerpted from HSA NewsLetter, 36:5, 2021
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