The Peace Perspective

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 09:44 -- Nayzak

Person 1:

In a land of peace

Why does the hate increase

When the “Christians” see

A woman in the street

Cloth on her head

That to them means dread

Because they can’t see past

A New York blast

 

In a land of peace

That labels violence as pious to ISIS

But denies the presence of bias

On Chapel Hill

A chapel now ridden with shrapnel

Yet we proclaim our hands clean

Deny the Western extreme

 

Person 2:

God is one

He is all-accepting

But mankind’s hatred is unrelenting

 

I am drained

By the pain

Of my family under violence’s siege

Remain calm, they preach

Peace is within our reach

Explain once and try again

Explain twice and try again

Explain three times and walk away

Remain calm

Just cry again

 

Person 3:

Who am I

To simply walk by

In a land of the free

Expressing my belief

 

Today I see

People approaching me

Claiming that my faith

Calls for the spread of hate

But this idea of hatred

Was only created

By a group who spreads terror

In the name of our Creator

 

Person 1:

To her the hijab means pure

Yet she has to endure

The violent lies,

The screams and cries

Hurled at her in the land of the free

And the home of the brave

 

The brave who in justice’s name

Just want someone to blame

Want someone else to be the bad guy

So they don’t have to hear the cry

Of a people torn by war

Simply because of their golden shore

 

Person 3:

We traveled across the sea

To a land of opportunity

But to my family and me

Are nowhere near free

In a society that confines

Innocent lives

Based on assumptions

Spread by lies

 

This land of opportunity

Has been infected by disunity

Through the spread of hate

With excuses to discriminate

Against innocent lives

Whose faith survives

As a symbol of peace

 

But these lives now grieve

Seeking to retrieve

What was once their home

Fighting this cyclone

That has only restricted

Deprived and convicted

These lives that stand

Hand in hand

Working to believe

That we will once again live in peace

 

Person 2:

Diversity is a beautiful garden

Each flower different

Each blossom unique

There is no reason to water flowers overseas

While others wither at our feet

There is no honor in planting a garden

Where beautiful flowers are simply discarded

There is no beauty

If there is no harmony

There can be no betterment

No progress

No love

Only hate.

And hate is a vicious reaction

That will not end without direct action

 

Person 1:

In a land of peace

Can’t we release

The hate in our hearts

That war always starts

Can’t we choose

Not to let our views

Be blinded with prejudice

But to see all life as precious

 

All together:

Here we stand

Hand in hand

United in peace

Refusing to appease

Those who declare

That we cannot share

One land under God

At home and abroad

This poem is about: 
Our world
Poetry Terms Demonstrated: 

Comments

Nayzak

After our district announced a district Film Festival, two friends and I came together to write about a cause that all of us have either witnessed or experienced: discrimination. Ruth Kingsbury, a Christian friend of mine, has known me since the start of high school and understands the countless discrimination Muslims have suffered, especially in recent years. Another friend of mine, Hina Hussain, is also a Muslim, but from a different denomination. She does not wear a hijab, and therefore has never been a victim of direct discrimination, which highlights the bias of many people who choose bigotry over tolerance and understanding. After writing the spoken word and filming it for the film festival, we began exploring other ways to make our voice be heard. This is a wonderful opportunity to share our message and take one more step in changing our world for the better.

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741