Counting by Michael Rosen
Jan 08, 2021, 09:53 PM
'On the Move. Poems about Migration' by Michael Rosen, page 62 (Walker Books)
When they do war,
they forget how to count.
They forget how to count,
and that’s how they do it.
They forget how to count,
and that’s how they do it.
They come,
they kill;
they kill,
they go.
they kill;
they kill,
they go.
No numbers.
No names.
No names.
They disappear them.
They vanish them.
They vanish them.
That’s how they do it.
They come,
they kill;
they kill,
they go.
they kill;
they kill,
they go.
And it’s
“worth it”,
they say.
“worth it”,
they say.
“It’s worth it, believe us.”
if you forget how to count.
If you forget the numbers.
If you forget the names.
If you forget the numbers.
If you forget the names.
If you forget the faces.
When they do war,
they forget how to count.
They forget how to count,
and that’s how they do it.
They forget how to count,
and that’s how they do it.
But we’re counting.
Watch us:
Watch us:
we’re counting.
Listen.
Listen.
We’re counting.
And
we count.