Lebanon
Litany of wobbles
Literary and literal absurdity
Tempting and tasking self and all
Lebanon
Litany of struggles
Complex and conscious construct
Draining and damping self and all
Lebanon
Mirrors and marrows, hate and fate
Tears tearing a nation's fabric
Blood bleeding a people's bond
A glorious land...
Cascading in compounding crises
A precious place defying peace
Oh Lebanon, where be thy beauty of old!?
Pray Lebanon
When will thy soul sing again?!

(Lows of Lebanon 2006)

We join the world to mourn the bereavement in Lebanon, and salute the choice and call for calm in this moment of dark contemplation. Let moderation prevail, not angst. Let it be known that the nation can heal self, heal all....in the fullness of time. And it will.

Friends of Lebanon should toe the chosen line of peace proclaimed by its leaders. We must all join them to rebuild trust so they can rebuild the nation. Not exacerbate. Not complicate.

Investigations? Yes. Leave that to the United Nations for now. But I have a strange and bitter pill for us: Kofi Annan should head for Lebanon and accompany the president, prime minister and parliamentary leader (Hariri!) to Damascus for a face-to-face dialogue with President Assad and his topmost brass. Ice-breaking, tough, brotherly and bitterly. Next week, whatever it takes! After that, Tehran! The following week, whatever it takes!! The third week, with the Hezbollah leadership! Whatever it takes!!!

If the US is dealing with Russia, China and Pakistan, and worst cases of former foes be now resolved and those nations bonded in the EU, nothing must stand in the way of this proposition.