Berries come to autumnal air;
unaware of blemishes borne by the world,
are we not responsible for what goes on?
Kudos to those who have failed,
failed as leaders, as citizens of the community,
as human— just as it’s unsafe to eat unripe berries
it’s questionable to tread on path,
for this is what happens when social injustice hits fever pitch,
do we dare say what we mean?
I look outside the window and see smoke instead of clouds;
men breaking windshields,
groups setting fire piece by piece, gun violence
and yet witness not change, what is this all about?
To each their grief, we learn not from the past
we stand divided,
trellis with vines so fickle they breathe nor sigh—
a penny for your thoughts,
would you prefer to live on where fruit poisons the eater?
Damages the mind and robs of sight?
Dare we raise our voice against discrimination,
demand what’s right
and leave issues unhanging; my heart weeps
when I hear of rape, of inhumane acts that defy the grounds
of humanity— do we dare raise the volume of television?
A shadow isn’t our face nor dust our ear,
with fire
raging in our hearts we ingest; it’s time that we protest!
Photo credits: weheartit.com
Grace hosts at dVerse and invites us to write
Protest Poetry. Come join us! 💝
I fear that the volume of my television is turned up too high already… but in the end, does it matter what we scream if nobody listens?
How can we protest?
Thank you so much, Bjorn 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Your poem is potent with berries, autumnal air and a world full of violence, Sanaa. It’s true, ‘this is what happens when social injustice hits fever pitch’, and nothing is ever learned. Too many people believe everything they see on television and don’t get out to experience life.
Thank you so much, Kim 🙂 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
wow you echo my protest poem in a far more subtle way, this is so powerful!
Thank you so much, Kate 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
Your voice of protest speaks for so many of us. It’s those who use the peaceful protest for a stage to pillage and destroy that make me want to scream. Useless dregs of society who throw roadblocks toward progress.
Thank you so much, Beverly 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
I really like how you set this right in the middle:
“and yet witness not change, what is this all about?”
I have come to the conclusion that there is no “right response” other than that which speaks directly to the heart of person. I’m not sure that there is any way to get off of this train that is speeding full-speed towards the edge of the cliff.
Thank you so much, Lisa 🙂 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
“What’s this all about?” indeed. I applaud you for using a different voice than usual with this poem; nothing romantic about the chaos and plague and death we are immersed in.
Thank you so much, Glenn 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
I too felt compelled to write about color and what it might mean.
Thank you so much, Christine 🙂 so good to see you 💄❤️
I do not listen to the news on the television. I just go to credible sites for straight news. I am specially moved by these lines:
my heart weeps
when I hear of rape, of inhumane acts that defy the grounds
of humanity—
I don’t condone violence to women, or to anyone and this is heartbreaking to read that it continues. Thanks for sharing Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Grace 🙂 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
(and thank you for the glorious prompt)
Protest is healthy. It’s when opportunists bend events to their own advantage that the masses suffer.
Thank you so much, Ken 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
The injustice of it all! Great write, Sanaa!
Love this :” Dare we raise our voice against discrimination,
demand what’s right”
Thank you so much, Vivian 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
So gently said. I felt peace sitting behind autumn veil as the world goes by.
Thank you so much, Patricia 🙂 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
It’s high time we protest, indeed. This poem is suffused with the sadness of the world we find ourselves in today. Too much inequality and injustice and we can no longer ignore it, nor keep the volume down.
Thank you so much, Ingrid 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
do we dare raise the volume of television?
that was the key line for me – it’s hard to listen, hard to look, hard to make change. Easier to turn away. Strong write, Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Sarah 🙂 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
I love this Sanaa. It truly reflects what many of us feel. I hope, wish we could do so much more than protest, but I console myself at least knowing we can vote.
Thank you so much, Myrna 🙂 so good to see you! Hope all is well 💄❤️
I love especially these lines
a penny for your thoughts,
would you prefer to live on where fruit poisons the eater?
Damages the mind and robs of sight?
A question we all must answer.
Thank you so much, Mary 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Sanaa, your voice of protest speaks volumes. Brava!
❤️❤️❤️
I think our society needs serious change – protesting is one way of getting there, but also voting, and being positive and active in your community.
Thank you so much, Ricardo 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
This is a hard look at a tough time in history. I fear it will take much more than a raised voice to sort this out. Nice writing here Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Rob 🙂 so glad you liked it 💄❤️