“Dear Terrorist” by Trevor Witt
Dear terrorist,
Stop this madness!
Whose freedom do you secure,
With broken buildings, bloodied bodies, and shattered glass?
Dear terrorist,
Whose honor do you avenge,
By murdering people at weddings,
At funerals and at cafes with friends?
Dear terrorist,
Don’t you see the soldiers are as scared as you?
They are told that you are unwilling or unable to make peace, is it true?
Dear terrorist,
When you kill twenty year old soldiers, whose hearts do you heal?
How do rockets, car bombings, and missile make dreams of independence real?
Dear terrorist,
Learn from your success stories,
Arafat, Mandela, and Begin all had their violent pasts,
But it was their shift to peaceful negotiation which secured their historical glories.
“Dear Soldier” by Trevor Witt
Dear soldier,
Put your weapon down.
I am not a threat to you.
Why don’t you want me around?
Dear soldier,
What have I done to you?
I was never your enemy.
Please put your gun on the ground.
Dear soldier,
I never fired a weapon.
I never had hate in my heart.
Isn’t there any way we can restart?
Dear soldier,
Why are you so cold?
Can’t you see that I am human?
I am barely ten years old!
Dear soldier,
I am sorry you face danger.
But I have never hurt you.
So why do you have so much anger?
Dear soldier,
Can you take off your uniform?
Can you see me as a human?
Or is your vision torn?
Dear soldier,
Please put down your weapon.
I could be your brother,
Your cousin or your son.
“Dear Soldier, Dear Terrorist” by Trevor Witt
Dear Soldier and Dear Terrorist,
How are you so different from one another?
One claims to fight for security, yet it makes you less secure.
The other claims to fight for independence, yet it makes freedom less sure.
One claims to fight for a holy religion, yet by killing in its name makes it less pure.
The other claims that the other side has no legitimate grievances, no reason to be insecure.
Dear Terrorist and Dear Soldier,
Both of you pretend that your missiles and rockets can even the score,
Both of you like to tote your guns, acting like you are preventing something worse than your war,
But the object of your violence is supposed to be to close Tragedy’s door, not open it for more.
Dear Soldier and Dear Terrorist,
Can’t you see that your mothers cry the same tears?
Can’t you see that your families share the same fears?
Can’t you see that the bloodshed has lasted too many years?
Dear Terrorist Soldier,
Can you see the color of the other’s eyes?
Can you see the little girl, who lost a brother, as she cries?
Can’t you see that you’re creating more sad, wrinkled, and battered faces?
Can’t you see that all you’re creating is a home filled with war torn places?
Dear Long Lost Friend,
Your child is the same as mine.
Your grief is the same as mine.
Your struggle to heal is the same as mine.
We all live under the same sunshine.
Poetry2ponder's Blog 