For centuries she fought
to keep the adversary at bay
so that her children could grow
knowing peace.
Boldly she stood
looking chaos in the eye
prepared to fight
for the sake of her children’s lives.
Yet now she lies in the middle.
Two people pulling at her hair
grappling her,
tainting her with the colours of blue and red.
Brought to her feet
stripped bare by ravenous hands
her body littered with the marks of greed.
They stole her beauty
kept it for their own
stole the sunlight
from the seed which she had sown.
In her eyes, a look of sorrow.
On their hands, the blood of her children.
Buried in the rubble of her own people
she softly sings
a song of hope
a prayer for the liberation of her children.
Written by: Juanita Galea
A Bird's Eye View 