Mummy, they’re killing children again, a poem by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA #war #poetry #poem

  Mummy, they’re killing children again

Mummy, they’re killing children again

I saw blood on TV this morning 

over coffee

brown swishing fluids, 

shit and limbs and blood

the new milk 

for breakfast

Mummy, they’re killing children again

I saw men

Big

Strong

Powerful men

camouflaged in decency

a coverup so sinful

they closed their eyes

as the guns took fire

into the tiniest of beating hearts

Mummy, they’re killing children again

I saw homes

razed to unsafe grounds

where the rats now know

they are no longer

the vermin 

of the earth’s war tapestries

hung so proud

on the walls of the victors

Mummy, they’re killing children again

I saw mothers wailing

their pain so deep it 

ejected

their wombs,

laid bare their eggs

like a feast for the 

soldiers 

of hate

Mummy, they’re killing children again

when will they come 

to take us

to rape us

deny us

a life once promised by

a God we can no longer find

a God who does not see us

a God who does not 

hear our grief

Mummy, they’re killing children again

in front of my eyes

the bodies pile high

over breakfast

@2023 Sarnia de la Maré FRSA

Butterfly DJ

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Ruin, Gothic Poetry by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA

 Ruin

When sleep won't come

the ghosts appear

they never left

just disappeared

for short a time

I remember the old days

when you were mine

What fun we had

crazy mad, 

and glad

to be alive

The goodness died

the fabulous faded

jaded memories

tarnished stories

errors too loud

to quiet the night

The ghosts walk proud

as we march with them to ruin

© 2020 Sarnia de la Maré

Firm Ground by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA #spiritual #shortstory

“Firm Ground” is a modern parable where Jesus and Muhammad meet in St. James’s Park for lunch and a chat about faith — not in them, but in ourselves. Warm, witty, and just a little subversive.

Firm Ground by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA



Mohammed was taking a late morning stroll in St.James’s Park when he bumped into Jesus.

‘Ah, long time no see,’ exclaimed Jesus excitedly, moving in for one of his over the top man hugs.

‘You’re looking good,’ said Muhammad, ‘love the beard.’

‘Ha,’ said Jesus, I was just admiring yours there too.’

Muhammed and Jesus sit together on a park bench to eat their lunch.

‘What’s in yours,’ asked Muhammed, eyeing up a rather exotic looking triple sandwich from the deli round the corner.

‘Mate,’ said Jesus, ‘this is the best, vegan as well,’ passing a generous chunk to his friend.

‘So how you finding things?’ asked Jesus.

‘Well,’ said Muhammad licking his lips of the best sauce he had tasted in the last thousand years….

‘It’s hard here, people have so little faith.’

‘In you?’ asked Jesus.

‘No, no,’ answered Muhammad, ‘in themselves.’

‘Oh that old chestnut,’ said Jesus. ‘Yeah it’s a real stumbling block.’

The two friends finish their lunch watching the activity in the park. The dog walkers’ conviviality abounds in a gentle and reassuring midday sun. High flying birds sing of life’s simple pleasures as a pigeon eats the crumbs from the firm ground by Jesus' feet.

‘Well, best get on,’ said Jesus, ‘they are all fighting again.’


‘Oh tell me about it,’ said Muhammad, ‘I've been on overtime since I can remember.’

©2023 Sarnia de la Maré FRSA

✨ Creative Analysis of Firm Ground

Playful Reverence:
This story has the intimacy of a coffee-shop conversation between old friends — except the friends are Jesus and Muhammad. By placing them in a modern, mundane setting (St. James’s Park, triple sandwiches, vegan lunch), you humanize them, stripping away the weight of doctrine and leaving just two people catching up.

Thematic Core:
The heart of the piece is faith — but not in a religious sense. Muhammad laments that “people have so little faith… in themselves.” This is a universal, human problem rather than a sectarian one, and it transforms the story into something inclusive rather than divisive.

Symbolism of the Title:
“Firm Ground” is a subtle metaphor — the crumbs being eaten by pigeons are on firm ground, unlike the shaky foundations of belief in the world. The title suggests stability, faith, and a grounded approach to life, mirrored in the quiet companionship of the two prophets.

Tone:
The story is lightly satirical but never cruel. It could have been polemical, but instead it is wry and affectionate. The humor comes from the casualness of the encounter, the human concerns of divine figures (“I've been on overtime since I can remember”), and the gentle irony of their task never ending.

---

🎭 Performance & Reading Notes

Mood: Gentle, conversational, with a dry twinkle.
Voice: Play both characters with subtle difference — perhaps Muhammad calmer, Jesus slightly more buoyant.
Pacing: Give space for the lines to breathe, especially before and after “people have so little faith… in themselves.” That is the heart of the piece.
Ending: Let the last line (“I've been on overtime since I can remember”) land with a weary humor — it’s the perfect closing beat.

Overall Vibe: A modern fable. Both humorous and reflective, inviting the listener to smile while thinking about something deeper.