Written by Lynn White
When empathy died
the soldiers could dance
in the streets they’d cracked
wearing the underwear of the women
whose homes they had destroyed.
And dance they did with pride.
When empathy was dead
the soldiers could take children’s toys
from the rubble of their bombed homes
and repurpose them as tank trophies
mascots to be flaunted with pride
while the street cracked
under the weight.
When they had killed empathy
the soldiers could shoot babies
in the head or gut – they chose,
and someone’s daughter 200 times,
or 300 – they could choose.
And they filmed it with pride
from the street’s rubble and cracks.
When empathy was murdered
the soldiers could capture children
and imprison them in cages,
one metre square,
or whatever they chose
until they told them
what they did not know
and then laugh with pride
in the smooth Israeli streets.
When empathy was dead and buried
deep down below the streets’ cracks
and only silence could be heard
Israel was supreme,
a supreme being,
godlike in its power.
Human rights were dead,
humans would follow
any of them
even all
would fall
through the streets of cracks
until the un-cracked power and pride
was cracked.
Text © Lynn White
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Thank you!
Very powerful verse!