Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Shalom, Shalom, Jerusalem!
City of Peace, Shalom!
How come we hear the bullets fly?
How come we watch your children die?
How come you dwell in misery?
City of Peace, Shalom!

Salaam, Salaam, Jerusalem!
City of Peace, Salaam!
How come the air’s so thick with stones?
How come your children’s broken bones?
How come the Holy City groans?
City of Peace, Salaam!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem;
Peace be within thy walls!
Peace will bring prosperity,
Peace will banish enmity,
Peace secures security.
Peace be within thy walls!

City of Peace! How Jesus wept
To see the coming desolation!
How he longed to give them grace
To love each other face to face,
To feel secure in his embrace
And blessed reconciliation.

City of Peace! Does Abram weep
To see the bitter confrontation?
Weeps to see his kindred dying,
Weeps to see his daughters crying,
Weeps to see the corpses lying,
Yearns for reconciliation.

City of David, City of Peace!
Site of the temple of Solomon,
Wrecked by the soldiers of Babylon,
Sacked by the ravening legions of Rome,
Sought by Islam as a spiritual home,
Battered by fire-breathing bands of invaders,
Taken in war by self righteous Crusaders,
Governed by Britain for thirty years more,
Seized by the Jews in a brief six-day war.
City of David, City of Peace!

City of God from Heaven descending!
Peace and prosperity wait for that day?
When can the energy spent on defending
Change to a passionate zeal for befriending,
Arms in a gesture of kinship extending?
Why should we wait for that ultimate day?