Relief … ?

The ongoing crisis in Yemen, caused by prolonged conflict, has led to staggering impacts on human life, basic public services, and the economy.

Relief … ?

In the bombed battered desolation

of an ancient long lost metropolis

A traumatised damaged lonely child

trudges aimless with a cindered cane

And detritus arenaceous edifice whispers

this was once a devoted family home

Relief appears a long distant aspiration

As opposing factions refuse an armistice

Hiding behind innocence fragile human shields

of herded refugees littering like crimson paper-chains

Trapped inside macabre dust choked grounds

these soundless souls live shattered arid dreams

Atop them weighs unjust execrable brokenness

patterned pending deprivation and ominous disease

Rhetoric alone does not feed hungry spirits

with superfluous intergovernmental injected promises

Nor the hypocritically supplying both offenders

with copious expensive technology for combat

Peaceful concordance would end the nightmare

But alas no gestural of abatement has arose

As onlookers we can give only voluntary our aid

through prayers and much needed monetary support

(Let us hope our effects are not in vane!)

Phillozofee @ 2017

Author's Note

Up to 3.15 million people have been displaced and more than 40,000 people have been killed or injured, including more than 4,000 civilians. Families are struggling to survive, and now the risk of famine and cholera loom.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

The saddest part about your poem is that I did not know WHICH disaster you were describing, until I got to your author's note. I hate that this applies to a large number of sad situations around the globe. Your words are intense & equal to the devastation you describe. I like your use of a lonely child as the vehicle for taking us along this shattered boulevard. Your writing here is clearly heartfelt & graphic. In one or two places, you piled on the complex words to the point where it impeded the flow of reading this . . . "detritus arenaceous edifice whispers" -- it's very hard to do when you obviously love vocabulary & I love that you use many unique words, but you do need to learn to edit yourself & stop being too in love with your long lovely words, to sacrifice a few. I know this battle well, as I have written many complex things that needed to be simplified a bit. Fondly, Margie

[Lumumba Adam Naro]

well penned......puts to surface the harsh realities.

[Stella Armour]

To know nothing but hunger and violence makes for very sad, broken children.I have written a few war child poems myself , it prays on my mind often :(

We can give, but only hope that our aid reaches the war torn people ...Governments and greed are despicably cruel.