Hurt.

She permitted a single, sobering tear to stream down her right cheek,
as she tightened her grip on my hand, and began to speak:

"You asked me where it hurts, and forgiveness would not be an easy task, if I were to lie and pretend I am fine, instead of wearing many masks." 

"It hurts everywhere", she continued, "there is no inch of me without pain. Nor is there a moment in my day without ache, tension, or strain." 

Then the dam broke, and her sadness poured from her like a flood, 
waves of nausea washed over me at the sight of her sadness stained by civilian blood. 

"Take for instance, Israel or the Gaza Strip, right here in the Middle East," at this, she pointed to her abdomen and winced like it was being devoured by some unseen beast.

Humans have destroyed me, killing one another in the process,
the ugliness of man is unlike any other to prevent its own progress.

Their bombs rip me to shreds, and replace my beauty with craters; 
once there was a time the other planets envied my never-ending nature.

Now, they laugh at me, for allowing myself to grow old and decay,
if I could do one thing over, I would have refused to let humans have their way.

As soon as they invented gunpowder, I knew the end was near,
now I peacefully await my death, I no longer have any fear.

They forced one another into camps, waged wars creating wastelands, drained my oceans of water, and shortened my once eternal lifespan."

At this, she sagely crossed her legs and sat down on the ground,
she began to cradle Africa and screamed, without emitting a sound.

"This is where it all began, but then greed robbed my daughter of her speech, every evil man on Earth had his way with her, then erased her history with bleach

Once, her wildlife was teeming, elephants, and rhinos roamed the Serengeti, but now even her diamonds have been plucked and resold, although they were once free."

She began to cough, as she recalled nations overwhelmed by smog,
pollution filled her lungs, and toxic waste filled her arteries with clogs.

"I am unsure what I did to deserve such ungrateful guests,
who took the resources I gave them, then raped me and took the rest.

You asked me where it hurts, and I can only reply with 'everywhere,'
no mother exists who could survive her own child's chemical warfare."

Slain.

Let freedom ring, it reigns supreme.
Liberty's bell solely tolls for thee.
Red, white, and blue but only for you.
For me, red is the blood of my brothers and sisters you've murdered.
White, the ticket of privilege that buys you luxuries my melanin can't afford.
And blue? Blue is the police force that engages in brutality.
Its sole criteria for ending a life is colour.
I pray for the day there is no news of injustice.
No headlines about rapists who are freed whilst teachers are wrongfully killed.
Mama, when can we stop digging graves?
Help me understand when we stop being slaves.
Will we ever be saved?

There seems to be no end in sight to this crusade.

Is it reckless, are the riots in vain?

All that ever changes are the names of the innocents slain.

#BLACKLIVESMATTER

I feel my soul crying 
immediately behind my face,
the tears refuse to be released, 
they only press against 
the inside of my cheeks.

With heavy breath like 
there is a stone weighing 
down on my chest.
How am I to feel when they have 
waged war against innocence.

Retreating into myself for I am 
unsure of how I can help.
As futile as prayer or tossing 
coins into a wishing well.

Take my hand, the least I can 
do is comfort you.

Breaking down, I fall apart 
from hearing the news.

What can I do to assist 
my brothers and sisters,
when privilege reigns in this 
poorly built system of resistance.

No weapon formed against us 
was ever supposed to prosper.

Who am I to trust when 
I can't even have 
faith in the gospel.

Perhaps I am naive to continue 
carrying my dreams,
although they might as well 
be held in coffins.
Leaving me burdened as they 
strip me of my conscience.

The current state of affairs 
has left me feeling hopeless.

Has the whole world gone blind 
or have we just become desensitized?

Numb to the injustice 
that has become as natural 
as the clouds that stain 
the cliched, clear blue skies.

We need a revolution, 
or at least a resolution.

There is no humanity when 
hatred has left the world polluted.

How can we continue to feign 
ignorance to these circumstances?

Once, I learned that race was 
just a social construct 
and I almost believed it,
until I opened my eyes 
and saw all the inherent 
corruption that exists.

Fabricated to create 
a rift between us,
separating, segregating, 
sedating and now 
it cannot be reversed.

Perhaps focusing on all 
that we have in common,
instead of drawing lines 
designed by our differences
could bridge the distances
between us.

We shall overcome!  
There is power in numbers.

Shameful to think brutality 
is what it took to awaken 
the sleeping from their slumber.

Who can say what 
we might accomplish,
if we aspired to undo 
the centuries of brainwashing
until all of the hate is abolished.

When we bond together
ignoring their profiling
of races; we can heal
and free ourselves from 
oppression and its cages.

Edhi.

You are familiar with ISIS, Boko Haram,

and I believe you even know the Muffin Man.

Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and Gaddafi

are other famous names who fit

the narrative that demonizes Islam.

But I can guarantee, without a doubt,
that you have never heard

of the recently deceased Abdul Sattar Edhi,
for he was insignificant despite his existence
as a polarizing figure focused on the needy.

His altruism did not allow him to see caste,

religion, or creed; Edhi embodied

asceticism despite being surrounded by greed.

Philanthropy should feel fortunate

to have benefited from his brilliance.

All jokes aside, he was nicknamed

the “Angel of Mercy” for being

one in more than two hundred million.

He created a charitable empire

despite lacking any funding.

Proving determination is all it takes to create something from nothing.

Edhi was even dubbed the “Father Theresa” of Pakistan.

But once again, I must declare that our media

purposely ignored him because he was not

another mindless member of the Kardashian clan.

Exemplary of the positive aspects of

the Abrahamic religion he followed,
Edhi rescued abandoned infants.
rehabilitated orphans,

and even trained nurses.

Once reproached for his assistance of Non-Muslims

in his ambulances, when he was questioned for supporting
Hindus and Christians, he classically retorted

by explaining his vehicles were better adherents

of these bigots' twisted understanding of their own religion.

So I beseech thee, why is he still relatively unknown?
Is it because his beard and style of dress fit the description

of whom we are told to fear, by reporters we invite into our homes?

Whatever it is, I will do my best to ensure his becomes a household name,
he may not have wanted it whilst living, but soon his charity-work will be acclaimed.

Orlando Gloom.

There is no humanity 

when hatred prevails and reigns supreme,
when we are divided by our faith, 

dogma, race or community.

Our focus should be on 

the forty-nine innocent lives that were lost,
instead of whom to blame 

and which group we must accost.

When hatred takes over, 

ego is the sole reason a louse could feel like a man, 

arrogance ignored results in fools 

acting out their wicked plans.

Anyone who instills fear in others 

should be labeled as a terrorist,
it should not be reserved exclusively for 

that religion from the Middle East.

What difference does it make 

when families are bereaved, 

no amount of bleach could ever erase 

these tears or this blood from the streets.

Who would have thought a city filled with Disney magic 

could experience ugliness like this, 

if Mickey Mouse is not even safe 

then no one really is. 

The world is awash in mourning;
there is no humanity.
So we must look to the helpers to save us 

from being eaten alive by insanity.

Inhumane beasts like this creature, 

the byproduct of a corrupt society, 

are proof that ignorance untreated 

results in a false sense of piety.

For centuries, the battle between 

good and evil has been fought.
Today we learned acceptance is not innate 

and needs to be taught.

Take away their guns and weapons, 

let them wage wars with words;
it's said sticks and stones 

can break one's bones but never verbs.

It's evident now how desperately 

we need to make a change,
exclusion is not the answer 

as it only creates more rage.

Unless we learn to love 

and accept our fellow man, 

we will always be two steps behind, 

unable to accomplish all that we truly can.

Come together, right now—
as we mourn this immeasurable loss. 

When our safe spaces are targeted, 

everybody pays the cost.

He expected to put an end 

to the global community's pulse but failed.

All he accomplished was for our hearts 

to beat louder to show we have prevailed. 

Let us pray for the victims, before we ensure 

evil of this scale never occurs again; 

love will always be victorious
for only it can win.