Elegy

Flown souls of the south, can you hear my voice We all still feel your presence Even desert air of cleansing and truth Is leaden now, ill-at-ease Winds wail questions Can you be at rest? Know there is no rest for we who remain We can't heal this jagged slash Your story, the deepest line on our face Will the child be seen again? What number of poppies Could brighten these plains? You were the beauty You planted bright dreams Seed by seed on the grey wall And crops you planted with love in southern soil Rise up now, sustain our lives But a hunger still sears inside