Poppies for Peshawar

Yesterday was the anniversary of the horrific masscre which took part in Peshawar killing 132 children. 

We commissioned a piece from a Birmingham poet and incredible young woman, Aliyah Denton (19), to commemorate the event and to push for, and celebrate, peace.

We hope you can take a minute to enjoy and reflect.

Peace & Love.

 

Poppies for Peshawar

Light me a candle;

For every flicker of the flame please pray that it makes hardship easier to handle.

Light me a candle to ignite the conscience of humanity.

Light me a candle sparking dreams of them reviving our bowed heads and weary feet. 

Light us some candles.

Hold words in unity on home made banners. 

Shout your frustrations on to listeners who hear from varied angles.

Light me a candle, hold up home made banners. 

Strive to make a difference, nothing else really matters.

Pressed backs against whiteboards which now carve the names of tragedy.

The world watches on;

Full of sorrow, quietly knowing that prayers hold as much weight as we desire.

They sat in classrooms, no different to the ones we used to, children greeted with lessons that spell unknown territory of defeat. 

Crossed off a chance of life,

A chance to be told to sit back in their seat.

Come my friend, sit this test too difficult for anyone to comprehend. let alone prepubescent teens.  

We now watch pupils plaster brave faces on emotional wounds that need stitching. 

We watch as they hold their families up, strong enough to carry on lives with unanswered questions.

Why? Who? What did we do wrong?

The world watches on through tv screens, held up by a generation hopeful that support can take the form of twitter mentions and hashtags.

Survivors carry the weight of 132 innocent souls in their rucksacks. 

132 winners we wont ever forget. 

By instilling hopelessness, through inflicting terror and bloodshed.

You inject uniformed students with patience, cupping and clasping hands alike praying for better ends.

Religious divisions a passenger to the driving faith the faithful know is God sent.

New beginnings where psyches subjected to collateral damage seek respite from the thoughts in their heads.

We live amidst kindness and compassion and if attributes were places of birth it’s where most of us are born and bred.

 

132 souls of innocence, we wont ever forget.

132 souls with the longing and inner sense for accomplishment,

132 souls with a plan of a life ahead.

Let us hold hands whatever belief and live for the lives lost,

Taking 132 steps,

Taking 132 steps towards reviving humanity’s conscience.

Why? Who? What did we do wrong?

We wont forget, we’ll remember your presence in daily routines and singing your sweet songs.

Why? Who? What did we do wrong?

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