FEUDING RIVALS

 

Battle lines drawn eons ago

Block neighbors no longer friends

Consumed by hate warily co-existing

In peace devoid of harmony (or dissonance)

 

Condemned to divergent religious alliances

Dutiful struggle divided by faith

Uneasy truce bitter conflict covert

Suspicion prevailing way of life (or death)

 

Offspring taught fear and distrust

Dysfunctional family squabbles relatively speaking

Non-speaking more often the case

The less said the better (or worse)

 

Nobody remembers Who started What

When How Why never mentioned

Moral obligation stoically carrying on

Avoiding confrontation at all costs (or debits)

 

Futile attempts to resolve impasse

Unwilling to assume responsibility while

Blaming others absence of malice

Face saving standoff for now (or then)

 

PoeArtry by: Charles Frederickson & Saknarin Chinayote

Co-editors of quarterly cosmozine AVANTGARDETIMES.com