The Ministry of Defence

This is the ministry of defence

The stairs and walls are all that’s left

Mortar holes let through the air

Kids do the same thing everywhere

They’ve sprayed graffiti in arabic

And balanced sticks in human shit

This is the ministry of remains

Fizzy drinks cans, magazines

Broken glass, a white jawbone

Syringes, razors, a plastic spoon

Human hair, a kitchen knife

And the ghost of a girl who runs and hides

There’s the bus depot to the right

Levelled like a building site

Those are the children’s cries from the dark

These are the words written under the arch

Scratched in the wall in biro pen

This is how the world will end