Standing here
It’s beautiful outside tonight
Tonight, the sky seems lit by a million stars
We can trace out the newest shooting stars
track their paths and whisper wishes
under our breaths
We will watch them burn brightly then die
but the sky will remain lit for a million nights after
We will choose to ignore the fact that it’s the star dusts that count
for we were taught to wish upon shooting stars
After this night, we will leave here
We will leave here tonight to go find hands that hold us
just right enough to make us believe in love again
slip into wool woven blankets
reminded that we are safe from more than five billion years of evolution
from big bangs and cosmic dust clouds
Survival for us is beating the alarm clock buzz to the snooze button
However, tonight over Gaza
the sky will be lit by alien drones and rocket launcher flashes
Mile an hour winds bursting against rescue shelters
tracing paths beneath rubles to families torn from their homes
Human limbs turned to torpedoes
debris flying at the speed of bullets!
White and blue patched UN sacks will become oversized sleeping-bags
and untimely body-bags cradled in a stranger’s arms
reminded that you are not safe from more than 27 years of political evolution
from big bangs and cosmic dust clouds
Here hugs are just underrated homeless shelters
and even death can’t be fended off by the arms of those you love
Tonight the sky will be lit by a million stars
staring over Gaza and the West Bank
over Syria and Israel
over the Rafah crossing
over Nigeria
over Garissa
over blood stained school shoes
The stars will track our footprints and whisper prayers under their breath
They will watch our dreams burn brightly…and die
They will choose to ignore the billion eyes staring up at the sky tonight
for regardless of where we stand,
the stars should seem beautiful
but not here, not yet
Not in the eyes of those slain by ISIS
Not in the eyes of the girls captured by Boko haram
Not in the eyes of the more than 140 slain by the Al-Shabab
Not in their eyes
Not tonight
All rights Reserved© Kelvin Kaesa
No part of this poem may be taken or reproduced without the author’s written permission.
Thank you Kelvin for allowing us to re-post this poem
@KelvinKaesa