'Yes, this division’s hard to understand— those who pass through it find no promised land— and yet to keep it, hardly knowing why, thousands may die.' Photo: by Marco Bianchetti on Unsplash
Crossing the border
Poem by John Lampen
by John Lampen
1st April 2022
Here at the gap a concrete hut, a flag,
bored men with guns, the barking of a dog;
to either side the barbed wire and the signs
BEWARE OF MINES!
And like a mirror, half a mile away
the scene repeats, another flag at play.
Between them lies an emptiness which parts
lonely and loving hearts.
Yes, this division’s hard to understand—
those who pass through it find no promised land—
and yet to keep it, hardly knowing why,
thousands may die.
