Standing My Ground

I never learn.

I try to run away from the blood and gore every time. I run, run, run as fast as my feet can take me, as far as I can make it from the epicentre of the earthquake that threatens to dismantle my illusion of happiness, of safety, of peace. Away from the nucleus, so I can be a valence electron and break away from the despair that pulls me inward.

But as much as I close my eyes - however hard, however long - I can never see the whites of my eyelids. It is always stained red. A red that refuses point-blank to be washed off, to be bleached.

As much as I run, the aftershocks always topple my rosy bubble.

And as much as I try to break away, I end up in another atom with yet another nucleus of power, of propaganda and poisonous hate.

“Here I am
Deceived into silence.

A silence that corrupts
Corrodes
Corrals me into guilt

And now I learn:
Silence is only golden
Not gold.”

So, from the depths of the place where all things rusty get cast off, I reclaim my voice. Because light doesn’t come from ignoring darkness, but from acknowledging it.

My voice maybe scratched-up and bent now, but it can still make a sound. And it will.

In solidarity with justice. With peace. With Gaza.

Poem: Silence

I am taught:
Silence is golden

Let the
safe-keepers of democracy
extort, loot, plunder
Let their nexus
with the blue-blooded,
black-suited
white-collared
deprive the "mango people"

After all, this is a banana republic!

So here I am
Bribed into silence.


I am taught:
Silence is golden

Let the
sadists and rapists
rip, tear, kill
Let their lewd mouths
Lusting gazes
Lecherous hands
Prey upon every woman

After all, wolves have insatiable appetites!

So here I am
Gagged into silence.


I am taught:
Silence is golden

Let the
megalomaniacs
ravage, decimate, annihilate
Let them sow mistrust
and harvest innocent blood
Let them impose their
unholy silence over the Holy Land

After all, they are the "Chosen Ones"!

So here I am
Deceived into silence.

A silence that corrupts,
Corrodes,
Corrals me into guilt.

And now I learn:
Silence is only golden
Not gold.