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2020

#WRI

G

Goodbye, Innocence; An Elegy

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by Athena Haq

Goodbye to the monster under my bed,
goodbye spoonfuls of honey dripping from chins.
Goodbye spaghetti stains on my favorite dress,
goodbye nonchalance about what to wear.
Goodbye to the smell of grass when rolling down the hill,
goodbye to sinking into deep sleep effortlessly.

I thank you for the smiles,
the soft sunshine,
the complete lack of furrowed brows
and daily dose of tears.
Your legacy has blessed us
with your timeless naiveté.

With sorrow, today we must move on
to beyond our years
stained by
bloodshot eyes and lack of sleep
the weight of people telling us who to be
the lockdown drills, the everlasting unease,

the exposure to this grim world.
Goodbye, Innocence.

The Masks

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by Athena Haq

Tuesday, 6:45am

we all wake up for
another monotone day of school
and we each prepare to put on
our masks

make sure to blend your concealer well
for it to be seamless, the difference between
the person you show yourself as
and who you are
now indistinguishable

add lip gloss
just the right amount of shimmer
so your lips know to say all the right things
the things that make them like you
and nothing more

don’t forget highlighter
add just enough glow
to keep some stage light on you
but not to outshine anyone else
and never
to steal the spotlight

Wednesday, 6:45am

Eclipse

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by Athena Haq

when the universe falls into harmony for just a second
and the black and white filter is ripped off of our eyes
for a moment we
see everyone’s true colors
and the roses smile at the sunflowers
and venus smiles at mars
we marvel at the sunset
no longer noseblind to its beauty
finally
we align

and then tears
cascading down faces
as our filters
are plastered back on our eyes and minds
and we again become immune
to the wonders of the universe
and our minds close back up
and the light is sucked out of our eyes
our smiles no longer genuine
only sitting there
for show

maybe one day
we will be once again exposed
to the Eclipse
and get a glimpse
of what the universe could be like
if we chose

to live
in harmony

Silent Screams

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by Eliea Zehra

     Our past is now becoming our present; days which were once considered to be 'yesterday' are now 'today'. Just like twenty years back, now when I look around myself, I see gloomy darkness bombarding my pupil. A spirit of ghast pervades my soul, and I become petrified. What I see ahead is terror, cruelty, injustice and above all, bloodthirsty emperors being as kind hearted as wolves ruling the lands!

 

      Let us for once negotiate and question ourselves that, have feelings like happiness, exhilaration and jubilation vanished from world hearts and let blood shatter overrule? Why? Why is that every night when I close my eyes I see those Kashmiris endeavoring, facing injustice, barbarism and most importantly ferociousness. I feel more and more frustrated and depressed by each passing day. I ask you that don't you feel the same way? Haven't you ever thought that what is their fault? After all they are humans too, but is there nobody to stand up for their human rights, that are being trampled upon and violated to a great extent. 

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      Why is that Kashmir, an area which was known for its breathtaking beauty and an attractive landscape, a place known as the'land of heavens', a paradise full of valleys with varying shades of green and a snow carpeted land(where warmth of fire was once a joy), is now suffering from India's  affliction, whose infinite hunger for land is resulting in some terrible massacres. It has crossed its boundaries; stabbing the poor Kashmiris in their backs. They are shackling the bodies of their children with pellet guns and bombing their houses since 5th of August 2019(when the lock down started after revocation of Article 370 in India's constitution).

 

      The Kashmiris are thriving for peace, justice and freedom. India has carved the blackest of days on the pages of world history with the blood of those wretched Kashmiris and their infants.

 

      But that day will come, when each tear that dropped from those eyes, each drop of blood that dropped in that mud will reunite and take its revenge. They will bring along an obstreperous flood, which will wash the enemies and their brutality away.

 

     That day will come when the eyes of Kashmiris will unbind an unfolding and an untold story, when their screams will echo in world cabinets evoking a thousand sympathies. That day will come with its sunrise bringing along rays of freedom and the birds will sing the melody of happiness; marking the history of a war between the rightful and an evil covetous and let me apprise you, that day isn't that far...

Fatten the Pigs

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by Emily Hanna

Fatten the pigs, fatten the pigs, hooray!!
After they are fat and big, we kill them
one by one, We hang them by their tippy
toes and let the blood drip and flow.We let
them sit there for months till they are able
to sell. We let them hang there day to day
getting all moldy and old. When we ship
them off to sell, the money flows in like
their blood. And everytime we go to feed
those big and fat pigs we all chant and say
Fatten the pigs, fatten the pigs, hooray!!

Tables turned

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by Emily Hanna

I remember when we could go outside,
When we could play in the sun.
But now all we do is hide.
Now we can’t have any fun,
I remember when all this had begun.
I wish life was like before.
I wish I could still go on a run.
But now we’re in a peaceful war.

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