from the article:
How to be a poet in wartime
What does it mean to be a poet in times of war? It means apologizing … extensively apologizing to the burnt trees to the nestless birds to the crushed homes to the long cracks along the streets to the pale faced children before and after death to the faces of every sad or murdered mother
What does it mean to be safe in times of war? It means being ashamed … of your smile of having warmth of your clean clothes of your idle hours of your yawning of your cup of coffee of your restful sleep of having alive loved ones of having a full stomach of having available water of having clean water of being able to shower And for incidentally being alive!
Oh God, I don't want to be poet in times of war