camouflage my eyelash
make a drone out of my eye
slip me into Damascus
through a palace window I could fly
shrink me to a mosquito
with the collision strength of an inverse femtobarn
with laser beam acuteness
only one person with intent to harm
revenge for children murdered
women, families plucked from their beds
only wanting dignity, freedom from a torturous regime instead
you cannot arrest me
an international death threat I’ve not composed
freedom of speech is mine
for others who’ve voices were prematurely stole
martyred for a future generation
parents who wanted for their children a better life
were shot, beheaded, beat with volted cables, cut by shabiha’s deadly knife
hospitals changed to rusty tables of torture
as a shopkeeper or postman to fragile life still cling
hoping another day of government ordered punishment
will not on their flesh continue to bring
and what happens
World?
you watch? does your interest wane? are you bored? no more dread?
rather talk about Rush Limbaugh calling a student a whore instead?
it’s time for a move
Bashar has not his pace slowed down
he is burning rooms of families alive, after shots and in gasoline douse and drown
Idlib could have been your neighborhood if cosmic dice landed differently on life’s table game
If instead this was your name:
18 March
1
Ayham Alhariri
Daraa
2
Mahmud Qeteesh Aljawabra
Daraa
3
Monzer Momen Almasalmeh
Daraa
14 years old, died due to inhailing tear gas
4
Hussam AbdelWali Ayash
Daraa
First four martyrs of the Revolution of March 15 ~ nearly one year ago upon onset ~
http://www.syrianmartyr.com/fr/node/40
http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/fo0114_syriadeathtoll1.pdf
WHO are WE to be spin doctors, like a Macy’s perfume counter smile
to pass by crimes against humanity
hoping it will stop, be quiet after a while?
we are all part of the human race
a race is when you are running
keeping up a pace
there are other runners too
they are all from different teams
all are sweating, pushing limits, to the finish line’s winning split second dreams
we are all running
but some of us are being shot, shelled, and tortured off the track
if we remain silent
our strength in collective voice hold back
we relinquish our right to be part of that run
we are not part of the human race
but less than animals have become
because even animals care for their own
in protecting the herd, they are diligent, take pride
we flip past news channels while our own in Syria languish & die
don’t give up your claim as part of the human team
a generation from here & now, hopefully, in a more peaceful scheme
we will have learned that we can cross international ties
cut out the time wasting, life costing, red tape
to stop torture of children, and women who are raped
we have to do something now
INSIST
CALL OUT
RESTORE
before ourselves as human beings
we cannot call each other anymore
©2012 Ruth Follmann