after Cai Guo-Qiang’s ‘Gunpowder Art’
the rumour
unfurled like ink in water
that a ten day-war was imminent
on the first day
we woke to small gifts on our graves
rice and apples, toys and books and slices of cake
on the second day
100,000 cherry trees were planted on the border
that our divisions might blur to pink year on year
on the third day
an arrow fell to earth
with a single red flower attached
on the fourth day
we decided to retaliate with socks and jumpers
and our men sat up all night under the stars knitting
on the fifth day
neighbouring countries joined in
with blankets and hats and coats and scarves
on the sixth day
a child flew a kite in the sky
and dared the whole world to join in
on the seventh day
a boat of arrows was floated
into the middle of every lake and set fire to
on the eighth day
the gift of water was declared universal
and commemorative cups were cast in clay
on the ninth day
we lit up the sky with poems in every language
and nobody went to bed hungry that night
on the tenth day
we claimed the sun and moon as currency
and the sea and earth their rightful inheritors