PACIFIC LANDSCAPE

Amado L. Picardal

  Peace and quiet all over the land

  the ears of corn have fallen to the ground

  and the weeds overwhelm the furrows.

  Peace and quiet within the hut,

  the dust has gathered on the floor,

  the spider spins its web

          across the broken door.

  A putrid stench pervades the air

  it does not come from a mere carcass

  for no prisoners were taken

     except the pigs and the chickens.

  An eerie silence rules the land

  that can easily be broken

  by the staccato of m‑16

  should any movement stir

        the pacific landscape.

  This used to be the promised land,

       and now it is a no man's land.