The Mandarin Sky

Beneath the canopies, underneath the spiralling stars

In the wake of violence, destruction and devastation,

The world has sighed with a heavy heart this week

From Colombia to Tigray to Palestine to Myanmar,

Misery consuming, mirth no longer passing

Negating hope with so much intensity,

People gazing into the night sky, praying for release 

Among the darkness filled with pheromones of hurt,

Traumatised and broken, wondering what has happened

No time to dream, wading through a living  nightmare.

Landscapes scarred with acerbity, agony and pain

Black holes filled with sadness, releasing tears of bitterness,

Tales of genocide, war crimes against humanity

In glooms of wrecked environment, as apartheid spreads globally,

Assaulting reason, anxiety and confusion testing faith

Blockades of injustice, multiply and mirror the ache, 

While we are left heartbroken, with feelings of outrage

There's no time for despair, because something has changed,

A growing movement of people, loudly speaking out

Every voice raised a tangible step on the road to justice,

With collective voices of resistance, change will increase

It's a long road ahead, with unity, let's deliver peace.