Think of This

Think of this, that man is the enemy of man
And that he meditates on destruction.
Think of this always, think of this now
During this moment in April
Beneath a foreboding sky;
While you believe you are listening to growth like a gentle rustling,
And girls are cutting thistles
Under the skylark’s song;
Even in this moment think of this!

While you taste wine in the cellars of Bandersacker
Or pick oranges in the gardens of Alicante,
While you fall asleep in the Miramar Hotel near the beach of Taormina,
Or light a candle on All Souls’ Day in the churchyard in Feuchtwangen,
While you, a fisherman, haul up the net over the Dogger Bank,
Or in Detroit take a screw from the conveyor belt,
While you lay plants in the rice groves of Setzuan,
Or ride on a mule across the Andes —
Think of this!

Think of this, when a hand touches you tenderly,
Think of this in the embrace of your wife,
Think of this when you hear the laughter of your own child.

Think of this:
Nowhere on the map lies Korea and Bikini,
But in your own heart.
Think of this, that you are responsible for every atrocity
Enacted far from you.