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

[DirectTangent]

I’ve been tugging at my thoughts about your piece “Voices” a bit.
I think I have some understanding of your intention – through the mundane things of our easy, unthinking, self-absorbed daily existence to elevate consciousness of the suffering going on, virtually all around us. If we could just stop and listen and tune in to a reality of a dark side of human existence and then do something about it...
I am looking for a condensed but feverishly potent slap, a grabbing-by-the-lapels-and-shaking that requires the pause, the tilting of the head to listen but I’m not feeling the intensity of that as much. Don’t get me wrong, the examples you document are great, but perhaps there is a way to interweave the examples with the contrasting unthinking existence that you aptly illustrate.
Perhaps there are ways to strengthen the last two stanzas. Perhaps make it more of an imperative, and less of a maybe (although the maybe acknowledges a weakness of commitment on the part of those who should tune in, who should listen, who should take action).
I like the general outlay. The hush, and then listen. It might be OK to leave of the “for” in “for you can hear” and transition to “you CAN hear”. I might consider changing “better off forgotten” to something like “needlessly forgotten” or “casually forgotten” or something like that.
Just thoughts to pass your way. Use or delete as you like. I hope some may be of some use.

[KWP]

hey thanks for taking the time to come back much appreciated and also you make some valid points. You are right about the last two stanza's - they do need strengthening. This is a fave poem of mine and I know it needs work and I will get back it (like all of them) at some point :) very refreshing review - thanks X

[DirectTangent]

A moving piece. Leaves me feeling uncomfortable, as it should.

In my own disquieting cynicism, I cannot help but to wonder if the seemingly genetically-imbued human cynicism that asserts that, “things have always been this way, always will be this way” can undergo genetic modification but in a manner that is above suspicion, unlike what we do with some agricultural crops. Can we inject into the human experience such things as universal compassion, kindness, empathy, and mercy and realize the ultimate human potential of actually reducing human suffering?

Your piece might be the start of the genetic engineering program.

I like it. It is novel. Back later with any thoughts I might have on structure, etc.

[KWP]

oh hey there and thanks so much for your thoughts :)

i look forward to some more - i think it needs more lullabic imagery - something I need to master XX

[daninstockholm]

wowwwww, Kay!! this is so very very beautiful!! I am at a loss for words! I am sharing this on my facebook, twitter, tumblr and wordpress accounts, (all usernames daninstockholm btw) so it can be read by everyone I know,,

[KWP]

you are too kind :)))) - ps I found you on twitter X

[Valentine]

A chilling piece about facts going on in this world. For these children, prayers are not enough! Valentine

[Ruth]

Honest thoughts are tearful and so needed in this modern time...the world is aching and mankind seldom stop to hear the echoes on the breeze, for it carries the lament of many souls and we could hear, if we wanted to, empathy is not lost, nor compassion, humanity just seem too involved in the material to realise and accept the unbearable...this gutted me and rightly so, in such times we need to be alert and aware and feel other's pain in order to remain humble and real...the structure is perfect, visceral and poignant hon xo

[Beccy]

I found this hard to read and my real raw and honest thought is that how awfully we have let those children down, how we seem intent on destroying the future of this lovely planet.. Always, whenever I see and read of such tragedy, I truthfully cry, not just for the suffering of the children, but for the future of mankind. How we can create such beauty, (music, poetry, Rodin's 'The kiss,) yet be so cruel to our fellows, remains utterly beyond me.

I wrote a poem recently called Feed the birds. Different in structure to this, but I asked the same question.

Beccy.

[Emily]

Vary nice story!
Well done!

[KWP]

Really? very nice story? Did you read it?

[Emily]

Yes I read it, I was just saying I liked the meaning. I am sorry if I made you mad.

[KWP]

you didn't make me mad at all :) I would just like to see you write a review that tells me what you FEEL, what you like, what you didn't like ... this is a very good way of improving one's own poetry - you begin to understand your own style a lot better ... :) X

[Emily]

Ok, usually I don't say what I don't like because some people don't like that, but I will for you if you would like!

[KWP]

I just want and appreciate reviews I know people have put thought into ... We can all learn from everywhere and anywhere ... I will not review poetry if I think people have just written review just to get more reviews for themselves ... It's a waste of every bodies time X

[MsJewel]

A haunting tribute to those children that are suffer all over the world. I can hear those voices, and they are heartbreaking.

Julie

[Cherry Pepperweb]

This very heart breaking to read but do is watching the news, reading the paper...
Very sad that this is happening around the world while we squabble over trivial things.

[Rudi J.P. Lejaeghere]

I'am just speechless. This is also our world we're living in. To hard and full of injustice. I can hear the voices too and it breaks my heart. :) Rudi