She wishes her floods of tears away,
Thinking of all the lost promises
Behind these black, smoking skeletons.
Where is my baby, husband, lover?
Where is my sister, aunt, brother?
Vultures took our houses, land and lives.
Tell me. Who is lost?
You?
Or us?
Come. Talk!
We are also flesh and blood.
Let us bury our fears,
Keep our precious memories.
None of us will escape from this,
Charred stains
Always in our minds.
The reckoning choice;
Together or destroyed?
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
Weighed on scales of platitudes,
That will never take our pain away
.
.
Christopher 4 April 2024
.
.
A beautifully sombre poem of loss, anguish, and resilience. Rich in imagery, simplistic yet highly effective in it’s direct questioning “Who is lost, you or us?” Can’t help but feel the depth of despair of the speaker, rendering an overwhelming sense of sympathy and helplessness at the same time. Raw human emotions captured so beautifully – though we do not know of the context – the overarching theme of suffering and injustice is a one ever so present in today’s current climate. Food for thought indeed.
Comment by emma lumsden on 26 May, 2024 at 7:46 pm