When will it end, the sorrow, the pain?
What will we lose and what will we gain?
When the guns have no bullets and the missiles no fuel,
When the bodies start to mass and the blood starts to pool.
What will they create, but chaos and war?
How could we win and who sets the score?
When friends become enemies and we lose Wisdom’s sight,
When the battle is over and both sides lost the fight.
When will it end, the anger, the hate?
When will we learn from our past mistakes?
Are we to be remembered as isolated and weak?
Cowering from the prejudiced differences we seek.
Where will they go, the forsaken and lost?
How will they live and what will it cost?
When the land becomes barren and all hope disappears,
When the love and ties of family are no longer revered.
When will it end, the sadness, the grief?
Who is the hero and who is the thief?
When they build a big wall and send more men to fight,
Taking more lives in the dead of the night.
Who will we blame when the tears come like rain?
Who will be responsible for humanity’s slain?
When the finger is pointed at leaders and their deeds,
Where justice has fallen to corruption and greed.
When will it end, the suffering, the hurt?
How many corpses shall we leave in the dirt?
When will we choose peace, when will we choose life?
Choose to shield each other from evil’s sharp knife.
Will it be worth it, the famine and death?
Will we know peace before our last breath?
When we cast out our brothers, both by arms and by blood,
Loyalty and honour, left in the mud.
If we end it with battle and fire and lead,
We’ll end it in disgrace, and we’ll end it dead.
If we end it with war and anguish and guns,
We’ll end it in terror for when judgement comes.
But.
If we end it with allies and fealty and trust,
We’ll end it with dignity and we’ll do what we must.
If we end it united, and make them understand,
Perhaps humanity’s salvation may yet be at hand.
Entered this into a competition a while back (didn't win). One of my favourite poems.