Long ago
My grandfather died
Under a Turkish butcher’s knife
Years and miles later
My father died
Under a surgeon’s knife
— A scalpel to be sure
A knife none the less —
I hate knives
I hate knives…
Long ago
Under red flags
Under a crescent moon
And at high noon
They flooded the barren desert
With my people’s blood
The desert bloomed
With many crops
Of sharp thirsty knives
I hated knives
I feared knives…
Now I carry a knife.
——— Tatul Sonentz (2009)
Tatul Sonentz-Papazian
Tatul Sonentz-Papazian is the former editor of the Armenian Review and director of the ARF and First Republic of Armenia Archives, based in Watertown, Mass. He has been a contributor to the Armenian Weekly for over 50 years. He currently directs the Publications Department of the Armenian Relief Society.
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