by ava (@la_femme_nista)
can you hear?
silent voices, crying for justice
do you see?
quiet faces, begging for peace
they were here!
now they’re not
a nation under siege
in the purported island of peace
thunderous booms and bangs
deafening the air
under dazzling blue skies
children crying in horror
robbed of their innocence
forever traumatized
after days and nights of
inconceivable terror
beyond the fog
a damning picture emerged
from every vantage point
a panoramic bird’s eye view
of a gory painting
canvassing the motherland
beautiful shades of black and blue
inglorious tones of yellow and green
etched with pieces of shattered dreams
drenched in crimson hues
a bloodbath
a deliberate atrocious attack
indiscriminate display of violent cruelty
a barrage of brutality and savagery
a harrowing hail of hollowed bullets
ill-suited even for warfare
a carefully orchestrated carnage
across our motherland
a merciless massacre
ambushed in broad daylight
hunted and executed
in the sanctuary of our homes
butchered bodies scattered in our streets
bullet holes in the head, legs, chest, and back?
deprived of remedy, decency or kindness
secretly disappeared and discarded, in darkness
a fate not fit, even for the heartless
as the light dimmed
on their hopes and dreams
their identity and motivation, questioned
their dignity, vilified
their humanity, stripped
their demise, ridiculed and denied
bodies, what bodies?
a cannon full of gas-lighting-up the masses
a raging inferno
over deep fresh wounds
as the departed
crossed over the horizon
their silent voices, louder than ever
screaming for justice, shouting for peace
WHY! they asked?
is our blood, the price of power?
WHY!
must our ashes, ignite change?
WHY!
must liberty, arise from death?
are WE listening?
in our dreams, do we see them?
when we wake, can we hear them?
will their sacrifice, be in vain?
lest we forget
the devil incarnate
does not discriminate
silent or not
safety is not guaranteed
they were first, we are next
for their sake, and our own
we must harness the power of the eternally quiet
fuel our inspiration, with their stolen dreams
nourish our minds, with their courageous spirit
weave their pain into iron shields
surrounding our fears
let their shining souls
be a guiding light, as we march on
in pursuit of our shared destiny,
and beyond
the voices of the slain
shall never be silenced
their names and stories
shall be imprinted in our history,
in honor of their gratuitous sacrifice
their blood, shall never run dry,
like a crimson tide
coursing the trail
to the truth
until justice is served
dedicated to those who were massacred in Tanzania before, on, and after october 29, 2025. tanzaniamassacre.org. photo source: https://pixabay.com/photos/africa-women-female-tanzania-4856283/.