Every Howling Thing. A Poem
As jackals approach a town, the townspeople must flee before nightfall. They all run except for a deaf girl, mourning her dead rabbit.
Synopsis
As jackals approach a town, the townspeople must flee before nightfall. They all run except for a deaf girl, mourning her dead rabbit.
Poem
Every Howling Thing
by Özge Lena
Night was just over the hills.
They said jackals were about to come.
They said we must hide
the corpses under the rubble
and leave the city to them at once.
They said it was time.
Every one of us gathered
what we could. And ran.
Except for the deaf girl who was howling
by the body of her rabbit, two drops
frozen under its eyelids, glistening
like pomegranate seeds.
She signed us not to leave.
But jackals came like dusk.
We had to be quick.
We left before the evening.
Before the blueblack flow
of animals bled into the ruins.
Except for the girl whose voice was cut
by soldiers who were shooting at
every howling thing.
