Three Poems

Damascus Public Library

       For Ahmad

We search in the rubble for
books.        
          When we find them, we leave
a note that tells the owner  
where to collect them if they
come back.
                  People loan the books
they like. The women don’t go
outside because of the bombs
so they ask the children and
the men to get books for them.

We get many requests for
Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People, The Art
of Dealing With People and
...