The injustice spelled out in
headlines and hashtags
Twitter feeds and Instagram pics,
Shakes our being in racks of fury
Brings out tears and sobs of pity
Takes hold of our incapable minds
Prying into our comfortable lives
The Syrian boy caked in dust and blood
The Pakistani child amidst a garbage flood
Crimes of evil we can’t comprehend
Acts of brutality we can’t recompense
We stare at screens and video footage
A young man with no other choice
A small girl left without a voice
An inventory of indescribable actions
We scream out loud our frustrations
Cry on behalf of bleeding nations
Inside us moves a storm of despair
Laying in our beds immobile we stare
Until our eyes take up their fill
Turning away against our will
Until the screen blurs and we slam it shut
Our attention spent, our reaction cut
No longer do the images remain
Whether or not we are no longer sane
We turn off our emotions, no longer upset
It takes no effort
to forget.
Halah Butt
Halah is a writer, copywriter, and aspiring author. She earned her B.A at the University of Toronto where she majored in English Literature and Professional Writing & Communication. Her work has been published in-print and online, and she was long-listed for the CBC Nonfiction prize in 2019. Born and raised in Toronto ON, Halah currently lives in Michigan with her husband and cat.
3 Comments
Very Amazing. Loved it!!!!
Masha Allah! ❤
I love how raw the emotions are in this one.