An autumn butterfly
dances along a hedge
as I walk along the decaying
amusement park.
Below a cascade statue of elephants,
a cat drinks from the pool.
A wife and child
ride the merry-go-round,
the wife laughing,
looking over her shoulder
to show her husband at the gate
the joy she and her child are having.
But he is not watching.
He is staring at his phone.
A t-rex in the dinosaur park
is missing its head,
but it’s still busy with parents and children
who have paid their expensive entry fees.
Finally, I look up and there she is,
Mother Armenia,
the female personification
of the Armenian people,
watching over the city of Yerevan,
with a shield at her feet
and a sword in her hand.
Mother Armenia wants peace,
but knows it can only be won by strength.
And when I turn away from Mother Armenia,
I am greeted by a visually stunning view
of Mount Ararat.
