Whose child is suffering?
A howl of pain, a physical rip, a numbness, a scream for help
a roar of rage, a plea for the madness to stop.
Someone called it an
“orgy of suffering”
adequate image of the current level of misery in the world
Israel, under Netanyahu’s watch,
Gaza, under Hamas’ rule,
Ukraine, under Putin’s bombs,
death, destruction, devastation, desolation and despair
And all the other terrains de guerre, everywhere
active or latent, waiting for a spark.
Where overnight, the other is no longer a neighbor
who comments on the weather, shares a joke
or trades some sugar when there is none in the pantry,
the other has become a mortal enemy.
And the war machine,
turning our planet into waste
faster than our entitled indulgence has polluted the earth, water and sky.
Killing, slaughtering, destroying all life, and with it
hope.
And the lie machine,
turning every discerning observer into an exhausted witness,
and while denying ill intent,
whipping hatred and rage
with high precision and deadly efficiency.
And the cynicism of the mighty
holding on to power to avoid jail or worse,
calculating,
their deals are exposed, revealed, and so clear to see.
All sorts of bullies, each indifferent to the anguish they inflict,
masterly engineering it for their brutal aims.
And the children, the children,
the children in sorrow
Whose child is suffering? someone asks
and I say
“How could that possibly matter?”
2 Comments
Valérie Nizon
Well done, Françcoise, for making your voice heard!
And, moreover, for making the effort to put into words that for which there should not be words; and yet we must speak up and make our opposition to these atrocities and injustices heard.
Thank you, Françoise!
Valérie
Francoise Ducroz
Thank you Valérie for taking the time to read ce cri du cœur.
We need to bear witness, bring some balance and affirm our collective humanity.
Françoise