A Message In A Bottle
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The Message in a Bottle
By Tapiwa Mzumara
Standing in front of a crowd
Was a girl who was the opposite of loud
She had something to say
That would shake you or at least make you sway
About the children in Africa who died today
She spoke of the farmer praying for rain
And the Mother begging for grain
She spoke of a disease with no cure
And the country so rich; they are poor
This girl talked about an internal war
And the hope locked in a closed door
The things she said were meant to stir
And she talked of poachers killing for fur
She said the world can’t change
If the people on it can’t rearrange
She spoke as bombers killed innocent people in Iraq
She spoke as Haitians had nothing except what was on their back
She spoke as people are cursed
She spoke as though this all could be reversed
And I heard her words loud and clear
Because I knew someone out there was living in fear
I knew that kids would die to go to school
Even though the others think they’re a fool
I knew there are kids starving in Indian slums
There’s no hope here, jingling for change were some bums
What can I do to erase the past?
Like the little help I do is even going to last
A man in Egypt’s house was destroyed
Because people use violence as a way to avoid
The issues that circle intelligent minds
The kind of hate that comes up from behind
With this I hope your mind is taunted
Because they’ll keep coming back like you thoughts were haunted.
Because she spoke I knew these words will be chanted
This is why I stand before you, telling not to take your life for granted.