Poems by Lynn White

To My Old Friend Who Knows How It Is

What ever happened my old friend?

You know

right from wrong.

You know,

you saw with your eyes open.

You knew oppression,

abuse of power,

state terror, 

apartheid.

You knew.

You know.

We boycotted,

we campaigned,

we did what we could.

Then

I would have shared anything with you.

Now

I wouldn’t even share my space,

wouldn’t stay in the same room as you.

What ever happened to you my old friend?

Rediscovering your jewishness shouldn’t mean

giving up your humanity,

negating your history,

seeing with your eyes tight shut

but you know

you know.

What ever happened my old friend

you know.

First published in Inquietude, Issue 1, April 2018

Dog

Don’t challenge his growls,

said the man with no face. 

Look down on the ground,

be humble, not brave.

Don’t cry if you fall,

the blind girl explained.

The field’s full of dog shit,

so don’t touch your eyes.

I loved my pet doggy,

the dead baby cries.

We all loved him so much

until the day that I died.

First published by Outlaw Poetry, September 2018