TRAGIC Poem: Slopes, by Sarah Selim

Smooth slopes to travel down
For the dripping tears rarely released
My blank face in its reflection
Dumbfounded by her reaction
To my question
She turns around
To hide what you can see in her eyes
The image of her sons, brothers, fathers, and uncles
Wrapped in white cloth
By the thousands
In her choked cries
I hear their voices before they become a memory

Smooth slopes to travel down
For the people who ignore her tears
For the people who ignore the men wrapped by the thousands
In her voice, I think back, they weren’t the grunts of men
They were laughs of children
Cries of newborn babies
Wrap yourself in warm white clothes
Don’t forget that your position
Is a privilege

Smooth slopes to travel down
For my tears when I’m alone
Not created by the thousands of wrapped bodies
But by the turning of their cheeks
At the sight of a people’s disappearance

Smooth slopes to travel down
For people who think souls aren’t equal

Author: poetryfest

Submit your Poetry to the Festival. Three Options: 1) To post. 2) To have performed by an actor 3) To be made into a film. View all posts by poetryfest