Soldiers’ Women
On the plateau, a file of women in black,
war widows waiting to serve tea, bread
and rice from two men in a pickup truck.
The men spoke hoarsely, scurrying them on,
found their work embarrassing, they would
rather be back on the mountain fighting.
Thought of the women as superfluous, yet they
had given birth to boys who fought and daughters
who was married to a warrior.
The women didn't look the men in the eyes,
spoke softly about the health of grandchildren,
they had miles to walk down to the village till
meager soil and tend to skinny goats.