By Ishmael von Heidrick-Barnes
TEARDROPS IN A BUCKET
-For the anonymous Armenian woman who carried this bucket on the death march into the Del-Zor Desert and eventually to safety.
What appears
to be an ordinary bucket
is a sacred vessel
blessed by hands
burned on desert death marches
carried during the Armenian Genocide.
A metal pail
that fetched water
from parched wells
Scooped up names
frozen on the lips of sons and daughters shattered by moonlight
on Lake Van
A container
that delivered generations of unborn children
to the diaspora of dawn
What appears
to be an ordinary bucket
is a sacred vessel
laden with reflections
silence can’t kick away
Ishmael von Heidrick-Barnes was born and raised in San Diego, California. He attended Herbert Hoover High School and went on to study Religion and Theology at the University of San Diego. His book Intimate Geography, published by Ragged Sky Press, won the 2012 San Diego Book Award for Poetry. Ish, as he is known, has also written lyrics for German musicians Andrea Hörkens and Thomas Roderburg (Tender Art).
Latest posts by Ishmael von Heidrick-Barnes (see all)
- Word’s Out | Geo-Poetic Spaces - December 14, 2018
- Political Love Affair | Geo-Poetic Spaces - December 7, 2018
- Deer Tracks | Geo-Poetic Spaces - November 30, 2018
Thank you Ish for creating such an emotional words that the bucket wanted
to say after so many years. The bucket poured the water out with words…
Thank you for the poem too…