by Alyssa Roat

Truth, compassion, forbearance.
Gentle movements, rhythmic breaths.
Pursuit of morals and virtue.
Peacefulness and souls at rest.

Why does peacefulness scare you?
Why do you fear compassion?
Why do those different than you
Spur you to violent action?

Meditation interrupted.
The peaceful imprisoned in strife.
Hatred, violence, torture, theft.
Theft of dignity, theft of life.

What makes you so violently snatch
The innocent unawares?
What is lacking in your life,
That you must destroy theirs?
Striving for virtue, searching for meaning,
Each on his own quest.
Oppressors hunting and seizing.
The quiet find no rest.

But why do others not care?
Why do none step in to help?
There are billions besides the oppressors.
Or do we only care about ourselves?

When all the quiet are gone,
And their bodies fade to dust,
Who, then, will be there to help?
Once they’re gone, they’ll come for us.

* * *

 

Winner of the 1st Place College Student Award in FoFG’s 2018 Poetry Contest

Alyssa Roat is a sophomore professional writing major at Taylor University. Roat is the website and blog manager for Illuminate YA Publishing and an intern at Cyle Young Literary Agency.