from Espana En El Corazon (Spain in Our Hearts)
by Pablo Neruda
translated by Donald Walsh

Nothing, not even victory
will erase the terrible hollow of the blood:
nothing, neither the sea, nor the passage
of sand and time, nor the geranium flaming
upon the grave.

The Spanish Civil War generated a wealth of literature and art. In contrast, even in this age of information there seems to be very little escaping places like Darfur, Iraq or Afghanistan and making it to the mainstream media. Thank goodness for the individuals who took time to get their blogs flowing, like A Glimpse of Iraq:

Poetry is so central in Iraqi people’s sentiment and disposition that any glimpse of Iraq would be incomplete without some mention of it.

For centuries, poetry was the first religion for many people. People’s collective wisdom, their history and heritage, their values and ideals, their pride and achievements are all preserved in poetry lines.

You won’t find that recognition on CNN, or even most poetry sites in America.