I Grieve

Me, down by the river, captured unawares by my dear friend Ena

Today I sit and I grieve 


I grieve for the easy life  
I'm no longer guaranteed  
For the future I imagined  
but will never quite reach  
I grieve for the animals,  
the plants and the trees 
Disappearing at a rate  
they cannot be retrieved 


I grieve for all the love  
that I did not receive 
For all the love that isn't given  
in the way that we need 
For all the people feeling lonely  
just begging to be seen 
For all the hearts trapped in cages 
instead of worn on our sleeve 


I grieve for all those struggling  
with a family to feed 
I grieve for all the homeless  
just itching to feel clean 
I grieve for the fact 
that we were led to believe  
That happiness came from taking  
more than we need 


I grieve for all the mothers  
whose babies do not breathe  
Trapped under rubble  
alone while they bleed  
I grieve for all the fathers  
who watch in disbelief  
As their homes, their whole life,  
are bombed to smithereens 


I grieve for all the children  
who fall sleep and dream  
Just to relive the nightmare  
that has become their reality  
Beheaded babies, starvation,  
more inexplicable scenes  
Sounds of sirens, buildings crumbling  
and endless screams 


I grieve for all the people  
Who've closed their eyes to this tragedy  
Who've switched themselves off  
who can no longer see  
The truth of the matter  
It's as simple as can be  
No human should harm another 
There should be no need 


Not for money nor greed  
Not for cocaine nor weed  
Not for the country  
to which you declared your creed 


Not for oil nor batteries  
Not for race or sexuality  
Not for any religion or ideology  
To which you agreed 


No we should not commit crimes  
of hate so extreme  
Nor should we have to watch it  
at home on our screens  
We should not let anyone  
spend their nights on the street  
When earth is a’plenty  
She can shelter and feed 


We should not have to lie,  
cheat, swindle, deceive  
Just because we’re told  
It's the only way to succeed 
We should not spend our days 
Feeding a corporate machine 
That pries from our fingers 
Our last shred of humanity 


Today I sit and I grieve 
I pray and I weep 
I rage while I think 
Of all that has been 
Then I pick myself up 
And take to the streets 
For there’s work to be done 
Until we're all free