Osijek

Swinging in my chair, and

Stirring my coffee again.

Cigarette smoke permeates;

Lung disease won’t scare here.

         ♠

From just across the river,

bullets had sprayed these streets.

Over the years, people had run

With their groceries and children.

          ♥

Now we can meander along, and

Dangle our feet over that river.

Bird song and traffic fill the breeze.

We ponder our choice of ice cream.

          ♣

Education, business acumen

All present, yet a dire status quo.

Why is your country overlooked

With hearts and shops so ready?

         ♦

Searching for words; the strife

So unexpected. You interject,

McDonald’s opened to crowds.

I commiserate in reply.

         ♠

Questions go unanswered.

Tell us exactly,

what prompted the fighting?

Capital’s arrival is delayed.

Osijek is in Croatia, part of the former Yugoslavia.

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