by Veronica Leonard 

Sooner turning to oppression
Than losing a sense of control,
Over the volatile ocean
Humanity already encompasses.
 
Forcing peace to donate its body
When it was already offering its soul.
Hoping to replace the missing parts,
Like turning peace to pieces.
 
In a world so caught up in itself
The flow of qigong,
Challenges the stagnation of society-
Leaving change trembling.
 
When did meditation become dangerous?
When did liberation become a death sentence?
 
Who took Falun Gong,
And wrote “menace” in blood ink,
Over their human rights?
 
And who decided it was okay?

Who decided it is okay?

* * *

 

Recognized as an Honorable Mention in the High School Category of FoFG’s 2018 Poetry Contest

Veronica Leonard is a high school student in Calgary, Canada.