We Can All Hear The Voices

and on the inhale 

stop!! 

calm your mind 

listen 

you too can hear 

hear 

voices of those 

cast-out

displaced

lost 

better off forgotten 

dead

as you wait in line 

for your daily coffee 

p a u s e 

for you too can hear 

as you buy new clothes 

keeping up with fashion 

check-in with yourself 

before you check-out 

for you too can hear 

as you throw away 

uneaten scraps 

lapse a moment in the task

linger there

for you too can hear 

as you embrace your loved ones 

in routine and commonplace 

hold fast

take a moment longer 

make it last 

for you too can hear

hear 

voices of those 

cast out 

displaced

lost 

better off forgotten

dead 

“my mother was shot right in front of me in our village, she dropped to the ground, they see I was about to scream but the bullets hit my body first I fell on top of my mother”  Girl, 6, Boko Haram, Nigeria

“stolen away from all I knew, a gun to my head, raped, raped, raped, raped, something hard pressing on my skull, a boot, the butt of a rifle, dead” Girl 16 Nigeria

"I sat on my father's lap, he was watching the news of the war, he screamed at the television, I saw a lot of broken houses on the pictures the television was showing, then the picture went fuzzy and I heard a screeching noise, the bomb landed, right on my house' Boy 5 Palestine

“my mother gathered us up, she said we had to leave, otherwise we would be killed by the bad men, why did the bad men want to kill us? we walked, I became weak, too weak for life, I died on the side of the road” Boy 3 Syria

“on a boat, out at sea, too many people, no food, water, too much water, can’t swim, can’t breathe in the water - drowned at sea” Boy 14 Myanmar 

“it was too dangerous where I was living, my father sold everything to pay for a better life for my sister and me, we got into the back of a truck, we headed for America, my sister would look after me, we stopped I heard sirens, i was scared, so scared, my sister held my hand, everything in the back of the truck was black, there were lots of people packed into the truck, all of us trying to find a better life, i didn’t want to leave my mother and father, my father promised it was for the best, when the truck stopped I heard people crying, silent crying because we were told not to make a noise of else we would be put on fire, somebody must have made a noise, I was put on fire”  Girl with Sister 11 & 16 Mexico

“why am I dead now?” 

Lost children of the world were never given a chance or an answer of why?

maybe

just maybe 

if we all learn to 

hear the voices 

of those 

cast out

displaced

lost 

but not forgotten

maybe

just maybe 

we can learn

together

just how to 

make this world 

a better place

XXX

Author's Note

I would love some real raw and honest thoughts here please :) X

Reviews

[emmajoy]

Dear goodness, dear God, this makes thought and tears irrelevant.. tis one of the most powerful posts I've ever read in the Cafe!

Dear you, you've not put a foot wrong in putting together this moving tribute.. cos that's what it is. Every word weeps for those millions of children worldwide who've suffered, who suffer and more than tragically will CONTINUE to suffer at the hands of the evil that grows and grows on our planet.

Ok, have to stop. Crying.

[R Smith]

I'd just like to but in and echo every word of Emmajoy, the evil grows every day, all we have are tears for those who suffer and prayers for them and that this evil can be halted before it creeps across the whole world :)

[KWP]

Dear You and You (Boss) it is people like you two who make this world a better place and I am lucky to have you both - thank you for reading and even more so for your thoughts XXX LOVE XXX

[R Smith]

Thank you Bossette, you know me so well despite distance and time, one day this world will be that better place for all, i'm still looking forward to that ledge and much to talk about, much love from here XXX

[The Waterlily Pad]

Unique. Written from a blunt line of (not necessarily constructed) random thoughts. A powerful speech to move a mind. Brilliantly said!!!

The art of poetry is to escape boundaries yet clutch the rules. I could not find a better testimony than this. However, in terms of language skills, I believe if you heightened the tension within alliteration or a powerful ending like: can you hear them now?
Or: don't think that it's only the heart that b-b-b-breaks...
Or just a simple conclusion to summarise your point: listen. Carefully.


However, I admired the repetition of 'listen' and then the way you made a detail of what precisely... It touched the heart every time you repeated 'listen' because it was like a gentle reminder.


Beautiful!

[KWP]

Hey There - thank you so much for your thoughts - I am glad you liked it - having had no formal poetry education and also not being one to stick within any kinds of rules I am always open to hearing truthful reviews and always looking to improve. You are right, the ending is weak, I have been thinking about this but have not gotten back to it yet. A great review and definitely worth a ponder and I wander into the yonder ;) XX

[The Waterlily Pad]

Great! You seem to have a mind of a more intelligently educated poet yourself already with your attitude! I would gladly come in more contact with you, if you wish. ☺️

[Urja Gokani]

amazingly written keep it up

[marcus]

Well, it made me cry!
Powerful words and such an important message!!

[ANTO]

Honestly...?
I take the verses apart from the accounts part even though Im totally aware that they meld into one cohesive write very well.
I was shaken by the accounts from round the world - the interview/statement from the grave style of them made them all the more poignant.
We are all connected. Six degrees of separation.
Very thought provoking and rife with humanity which knowing you as I do is indicative that this was hard to contemplate let alone write.
well penned my friend.
x

[KWP]

it's been playing on my mind for over a year now ... I just can't seem to make peace with it ...

[wordman]

i wish i could do something about it,and if i could,i would.
profound write,and all these mighty nations with all these armies stand back and let this crap go on.and we thought the holocaust was over..

[Tech]

It's amazing! I'm not sure if you intended this either (I'm sure you did) but there is a beat to the poem and I almost felt that I was attending a reading at a cafe. Wonderful job as usual :D.

[KWP]

thanks you - so great to see you :)

[Tech]

I know feels good to be back :)

[andrew mitchell]

I loved the poem etched with sadness but great!

[Melinda McQueen]

This causes on to think and know how blessed we are. Such grievances are heartbreaking from all viewpoints.

[KWP]

oh hello chick - lovely to see you this side of the fence - thank you so much for your thoughts X

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i like how you added the quotes to enhance the gravity of this piece...the voices are out there, we just need to listen...

what was simon's line in Sounds of Silence...people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening"

it is a travesty how so many have to live in such fear.

j.

[KWP]

That quote carried much weight and I see it everywhere and all over ... Can the reverse be taught ? I am not so sure :-/

[Kenneth The Poet]

This is some penetrating insight on the inhumanity of humankind. I didn't expect the middle twist and I really appreciate it.

[KWP]

hi there kenneth and lovely to meetcha :) thanks for your thoughts and inspirations my friend X