Faris Fakhreldin
Right before the end, there was stillness in the air, and they all stood there
with brave hearts, and proud eyes, looking at the crimson skies,
and none of them moved, even when they saw death, descending from above,
for there is no greater honor than dying with the ones that you love.
A kingdom of broken dreams, buried inside the eyes of their corpses,
living in Syria is a life we dare not speak about,
it’s like everyone you know got infected with a deadly disease;
they’re all dying beyond a shadow of doubt,
and the worst thing, you have to burn and bury the dead bodies of your loved ones;
to prevent a plague from spreading out.
Oppression will only provoke thoughts of black,
We fall into a mental state of a warrior, self-protecting; under attack.
When they take your freedom, your pride, and the innocence from your child,
isn’t it about time you took it back?!
So in the end, they all stood together, fought together, and died together.
Every once in a while, I can hear the ocean of joy,
holding their sweet voices of laughter,
but at nightfall, angels will call,
and happiness will fall after.
Faris Fakhreldin is a Sudanese poet who travelled to Syria in 2004. He has performed spoken word poetry in events such as the 100tpc, Nas With Notepads, and Human Rights Day. He is currently based in Sudan.