The Guardian Angels of Tribal Pakistan

This a poem that Kate and I were going to include at the end of our presentation to talk about the human aspect of drones and drone strikes in particular.  It was written by a Mines student in one of Toni's classes and she was kind enough to give us permission to share it.   I hope this brings a little bit more human context to the subject of drones.

The Guardian Angels of Tribal Pakistan

Another white winged whale drifts by. It hums a soft lament, an endless lullaby for sleepless children. Their tears drown in blood-covered bed sheets from sporadic nightmares. Perhaps soon, they will meet their dreams.

The peaceful creature floats along buoyant sky, protecting us like an angel. But your father said not to go outside, lest it thinks you are wandering unsafely. You will only give our friend more work, and humans need to be more considerate.

You hear persistent footsteps of other orphans heading along the rubble-swept mile to math class. Then – an explosion in the distance. You look out the tattered window to where the watchful guardian is, its blowhole billowed in grey stardust. The heavens must be celebrating again.

--Syania Tifiani, CSM class of 2013, Geology Major