Angelique Clark, “The Calm Before the War” – 2nd Place High School
The Calm Before the War
{A poem exposing the crimes against Falun Gong}
by Angelique Clark
I breathe the peaceful air of communal oxygen,
You torture me till my last gasps are a final relief.
My heart beats with the calmness of a silent drumline
You tear my heart apart, selling my shredded love away for abused power.
I hold my head with the dignity of a man with divine purpose,
You slay it off.
I sit with restful contemplation in an open field under the morning light,
You lock me in a cage to drown me in the sorrow of unending darkness.
I stand for peace,
You cower in the corner as a pathetic creature disbanded from humanity.
I speak freely in the name of freedom,
Your empty souls conjure hellish cruelties that my body hears but my mind ignores.
I dream of days less damaged,
You drag me into the night and force my death with sleepless eternities.
I exercise my beliefs with the knowledge of my inevitable, excruciating demise,
You mock the depths of my morality with shameless hatred in your eyes.
I was tied down as my son was ripped from me,
You destroyed him.
I labor for hours for the possessions of my home,
You strip away everything I own.
I know your weaknesses behind the mask of your torturous crimes,
You pursue strength in the breakage of other’s souls.
I call you savages,
Your cold agreement is the fuel to the blaze of your tyranny.
I breathe in—I will wage this war for peace—out
Your vile existence will be obliterated.
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Winner of the 2nd Place High School Award in FoFG’s 2017 Poetry Contest