What they did yesterday afternoon

A poem I like by Warsan Shire. There are too many wounded hearts in this world. Too many unnecessary things happen to too many people across the world. This must stop somewhere. If we all make an effort, it must help at the end or is it just me trying to think the impossible is possible?

What they did yesterday afternoon

by Warsan Shire

grief-reaction they set my aunt’s house on fire
I cried the way women on tv do
folding at the middle
like a five pound note.
I called the boy who use to love me
tried to ‘okay’ my voice
I said hello
he said Warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened?

I’ve been praying,
and these are what my prayers look like;
Dear God
I come from two countries
one is thirsty
the other is on fire
both need water.

later that night
I held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered
where does it hurt?

It answered:
everywhere
everywhere
everywhere.

 

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