Afghanistan

I will be waiting at the shore

Where the quiet reign

And the river flow ever so gently

Beckons you to come

One by one you have come

Then in tens

Then in drove

Lost faces and anguished heart

Let your tears wet my cloth

Let my arms embrace your pain

Let yourself be released

From all your grief and your fear

The ferryman is patiently waiting

To take you to the peaceful place

He saw my worry and he gently smiles

"They will be alright."

"They will rest without fear.

They will spend time without pain.

They will no longer be unhuman.

They will know peace."

I took your callous, worry hand

Guiding you to the ferry

I kiss your cheeks and whisper a prayer

And a promise to meet you again

One by one you enter

Each more scared than the last

Unknown future, unseen worry

For fate has not been kind

But I will be there by the shore

Smiling at you

And you will see that death is kind

And calm. Very calm.

Not until your ferry is out of sight

Will I shed my tears and weep

A promise I have made for you

A promise I will keep

For your kin to be safe

For your kin to find peace

For your kin to be well

Until it's their time to go to shore

The blame game is buzzing loud

The ignorant is deafening

But all I can hear is 

The wind howling through your mountain

Peace be unto you my lost people

In the sad, in the grief, in the anguish

In the fear, in the anger, in the desperation

Peace be unto you

And I will be waiting for you

Standing with you

Loving and shielding you

Until it's time to go to shore

Peace be unto you.