The Earth Is Closing In On Us.....

"The Earth is Closing on Us"
Mahmoud Darwish

The earth is closing on us,
pushing us through the last
passage, and we tear off
our limbs to pass through.

The earth is squeezing us.
I wish we were its wheat so
we could die and live again.
I wish the earth was our mother.
So she'd be kind to us.
I wish we were pictures on the
rocks for our dreams to carry
As mirrors. We saw the faces of
those to be killed by the last of
us in the last defense of the soul.

We cried over their children's feast.
We saw the faces of those who'll
throw our children. Out of the
windows of this last space.
Our star will hang up mirrors.

Where should we go after the
last frontiers? Where should
the birds fly after the last sky?

Where should the plants sleep
after the last breath of air?
We will write our names with
scarlet steam.

We will cut off the hand of the
song to be finished by our flesh.

We will die here, here in the last
passage. Here and there our
blood will plant its Olive tree.