The Cold of War’s Fire

Bahtiyar Hidayet Azerbaijan

While putting up wire mesh around his land,

Out of poverty, he drove stakes into the ground instead of fence posts

–

And used a few acacia trees as posts

Then he went to war

Returned with shrapnel in his body

–

Meanwhile, the wires had wrapped the acacias tightly

Later, they tore through the bark

And entered inside them

Now the acacias were eating the wire, squeezing it

–

The acacias resembled their owner

As if they too had shrapnel in their bodies

And were feeding on that shrapnel,

Meeting their iron needs this way, without burdening their roots

–

He too was feeding on shrapnel

As a war veteran, on 80 AZN a month

One day, because of debt,

His gas was cut off

He chopped the acacias into firewood

–

He burned the acacia wood

The shrapnel in the acacias was melting from the heat

But the shrapnel in his body

Was making him feel even colder