I am not
I am not a pessimist
but this world is dark
and I do not see the dawn.
I am not a traitor
but I cannot love my country
whilst friends are being killed.
I am not optimistic
but I cannot help but feel
there must be something better.
I am not a believer
but I find myself praying
to god in the evenings.
I am not a poet
but I must write this down
and make somebody read.
I am not a coward
but I am very afraid
of what will happen next.
The Possibility
Beyond coincidence
and chance
the possibility of freedom.
Beyond the horizon
and frontier
the possibility of freedom.
Beyond decision
and command
the possibility of freedom.
Beyond emotion
and desire
the possibility of freedom.
Beyond comprehension
and understanding
the possibility of freedom.
Beyond impossibility
and intention
the possibility of freedom.
Are you listening?
Charred flesh in the sunlight,
dead bodies in the shadows –
a different sense of form.
Stains on the kitchen wall,
puddles in the bathroom –
experience beyond words.
Babies in the corner,
children in the forest –
corpses in the yard.
Are you listening?
This did not happen without you.
This did not have to happen at all.
© Anja Sladek
Illustration Nick Victor