To the Lives Lost
By Sehrish Kazmi
To the Lives Lost
By Sehrish Kazmi
إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return.
A lifetime is not enough to traverse the world and delve to its depth,
We are but visitors of a place beyond,
only flitting here like butterflies
One life is hardly enough to see it all.
But you.
You should’ve seen it all.
You, who just opened your eyes to the world
You were born to feel its warmth, savour the seasons, and be enthralled by it all
You had to grow up, see the rainbow, in all its colourful glory
You would have gone to school, learned about everything so
one day you could uncover the world's secrets
You were the flower that was yet to bloom
You, whose life was cut too short
You, who were born to be loved, and see vivid spring
Instead you only saw pain and grey
The world hurt you before you could even speak up in your defence
I cannot stand the cruelty of this world
A world that silenced you only for being born
The prettiest flowers get picked first, that’s the rule- why?
I ask the heavens why you lay there wrapped in a shroud that is far too big for you.
Why did you starve when I still have food?
The martyr does not feel the pain upon impact. Allah lifts their soul before the harshness of death itself
Some might even say death was a mercy after all the pain you were forced to endure
You must’ve felt the love of your mother, still
She gave you her best, despite having nothing herself
Her heart is aching for her baby, she prayed for you so long
I wish I could quell the pain of those left behind
The anguish of being all alone is probably worse
How much loss do you have to bear, gathering the remains of the life you have left after your everything has been ripped away from you.
I have lost so many of you, and I never knew you
But you were my kin
You were supposed to live free
And given respect
This was not supposed to be your life, looking for shelter while bombs rained from the skies, carrying your lives with you from home to tents and from tents to nowhere
I remember when the children gave a press conference pleading for their lives, I don’t even know how many of them are alive now
Another day, another story narrated too late,
Babies, school children, students, mothers, fathers, teachers, journalists, doctors…an endless list,
the bravest people,
All beloved by community
We remember you, and your hearts that were joy themselves
How you were steadfast during one adversity after another, your strength is immeasurable, your spirit unwavering
You are the people of heaven after all
We pray for you everyday
I hope heaven honours you in every way that this world did not.