Aleppo

by Abed   Apr 30, 2016


Outside, there's too much noise
and little room for hope.
Streets smell of dust and distrust,
and the last Jasmine in mom's garden
hasn't stopped bleeding since dawn.

On the TV, a guy in a suit and tie
says that oxygen won't be free anymore.
Soon, it will be sold for a few pounds,
and on each Wednesday, the price will soar.
Suddenly mom shouts from the kitchen,
her throat is sore, "Shut him off!".
But the guy is not just on the screen.
He is everywhere. In every fighter jet,
on every barrel thrown.
You can see him in widowed eyes,
atop bone piles, above mass tombstones.
No man, no God, can shut him off.

"Why Aleppo, mom? Why us?"
I ask her later at bedtime, and she replies,
"The ice of hearts won't melt
unless some people burn to death."
She bites her lips and looks outside.
Outside. Where there are too much prayers
and no room for hope.

    report violation
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Latest Comments

  • 9 years ago

    by Maple Tree

    Judge Comment:

    Abed has written a chilling poem, about the true and utter sadness that is going on in Aleppo.

    I was heartbroken from start to finish with this piece.
    Abed, elegantly writes with the sadness and sorrow of his words. Intertwining Mothers garden and the dying of flowers.

    I'm crying now while writing this comment. That is how powerful this poem is. 10 points- Hands down!

  • 9 years ago

    by Darren

    Judges comments

    Those first two lines caught my attention and held it. I tried to imagine just an iota of what it must be like to live in a war zone. These two lines are perfect. Simplistic yet very real, a real sense of hopelessness. As a piece of poetry it is raw, but it works. There is tension, there is drama and there is anguish. It is also very current and extremely topical. I love it when poetry is relevant, a 21st century poem in every sense. Great write and an easy pick this week for 10 points.

  • 9 years ago

    by Maple Tree

    Your poetry just makes my jaw drop... powerful writer you are!

  • 9 years ago

    by Milly Hayward

    Congratulation on your win Milly x

  • 9 years ago

    by Em

    Well done on the win.. :)

Read All Comments (12)

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