By Roger Chao
In the tumult of a raging battle, beneath the echoing cries,
Where shadows merge with fading lights, the silent truth belies.
A world not split by borders, nor by rifles drawn in dread,
But bound by shared existence, in the spaces tear-stained red.
We gather here as fragments of a once harmonious whole,
Diverse in thought and creed, yet one in heart, in soul.
For pain, it knows no language, nor sorrow a flag does claim;
In every mother’s weeping eyes, the tears fall just the same.
The earth beneath our feet, soaked with the ages’ cries,
Does not discern the victor, nor the truth amongst the lies.
It absorbs each drop of blood as if to cleanse our skin,
Hoping perhaps that from this soil, peace might grow within.
Can you hear the echoes of the fallen, whispering in the breeze?
Their voices carry stories across the oceans, through the trees.
They speak of dreams unfulfilled, of lives too swiftly taken,
They sing a sombre lullaby of the lost and the forsaken.
For what is war but a mirror reflecting our darkest fears,
A testament to what is lost through forgetting our common tears.
A child’s laughter silenced before it can fully form,
A lover’s bed left cold and empty, never to be warm.
Imagine now a world untouched by the scourge of war’s design,
Where the morning dew whispers of peace, and all our hopes align.
Where children’s laughter fills the air, free from the shadow of fear,
And the old are left to ponder life, with no more need for tears.
Let us then lay down the arms that serve only to divide,
And walk the path of understanding, with our hearts open wide.
For we are one beneath the stars, in the sun’s eternal light,
Divided not by our differences, but bound by our shared plight.
So remember this silent truth, not anger, hate or blame,
That the dreams and hopes and fears we share, are proof we are the same.
And never again shall division, see the light of day,
For in unity, we find strength, and in humanity, our way.
Roger Chao is a writer based in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges, where the forest and local community inspire his writings. Passionate about social justice, Roger strives to use his writing to engage audiences to think critically about the role they can play in making a difference.
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