POETRY | GANG VIOLENCE | TRAUMA
Reach for the Sky
I bear witness to the sound of silencing
As young men fall lifeless to the ground
The aftershock of rounds bounding across the veld under the veil of night.
My heart breaks for their mothers.
There couldn’t be survivors, the silence says and…
These are kids after all. Forlorn, but nonetheless kids.
Yet to grow into men, but in which direction?
Reach for the sky young men.
Reach for the sky like your life hangs in the balance.
Because it did.
Added Note:
This poem reflects the painful reality of gang-related gun violence, which is so prevalent in cities around the world, including many in South Africa. In a dangerous world where violence begets violence, how can our young see the right direction to take?
Allison is a budding South African writer and poet whose topics of interest revolve around the human condition and the experience of the collective. She is rough around the edges that can cut through the mundane like a knife. Do yourself a favour and keep an eye on her work. Blink and you might miss it.
