I am so tired and weary!
Seeing our young suffer needlessly
While racism sings its cruel song
Aren’t you tired? Aren’t we weary?
What do we really feel?
I am so wounded and worn out!
When one so young
Takes her own life over bullying
Aren’t you wounded? Aren’t we worn out?
What can we really do?
I am so haunted and hurt!
That racism is commonplace and yet
We don’t learn from tragic lessons of loss
Aren’t you haunted? Aren’t we hurt?
What do we really say?
I am shocked and speechless
When in silence a sacred treasured soul
Choses to still her pure innocent heart
Aren’t you shocked? Aren’t we speechless?
What do we do the protect sanctity of life?
I am so gutted and destroyed!
That it takes the dreaded sorrow of death
To ask: is this all there is to life?
Aren’t you gutted? Aren’t we destroyed?
What will we do to eliminate inequalities?
I am so fatigued and exhausted!
Combating this folly
That one’s race is all that ever really mattered
Aren’t you fatigued? Aren’t we exhausted?
What does our nobility command?
I am so drained and dried out!
In knowing that
One may end one’s life, on who they are
Aren’t you drained? Aren’t we dried out?
What is our chivalrous response?
- Sign up for Aliran's free daily email updates or weekly newsletters or both
- Make a one-off donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara (ALIRAN), Maybank a/c 507246118995 or CIMB a/c 8004240948
- Make a regular pledge or periodic auto-donation to Aliran
- Become an Aliran member
I am so puzzled in poverty!
By the paradox of a young teen
Killing herself over something I would dismiss
Aren’t you puzzled? Aren’t we in poverty?
What is in our valour to defend any life?
I am so enraged and outraged!
That there are repetitive incidents of racism
And we are hopeless and helpless
Aren’t you enraged? Aren’t we outraged?
What is our commitment to prevention?
I am so traumatised and tormented!
By the trials and tribulations of one young life
Facing taunting by predators of her own age
Aren’t you traumatised? Aren’t we tormented?
What is our steel of resolve to oppose this?
I am so battered and bruised!
At the obituaries for a cold lifeless body
Condolences offer no consolation on such loss
Aren’t you battered? Aren’t we bruised?
What is our existence for but for each other?
I am so shattered and shrivelled
That with all our progress and advancement
Our humanity has shrunk to just skin colour
Aren’t you shattered? Aren’t we shrivelled?
What is our greatness if we can’t stop racism?
I am so stumped and stunned!
And yet I want to scream at every racist
Who is a politician pushing such divisive politics!
Aren’t you stumped? Aren’t we stunned?
What stops us from voting for notorious racists?
I am so tattered and torn!
Over a government system
Dividing us into them and us
Aren’t you tattered? Aren’t we torn?
What should we sacrifice for real change?
I am so broken and barricaded
When race seems an insurmountable boundary
And religion seems an impassable border
Aren’t you broken? Aren’t we barricaded?
What should we do to reclaim our humanity?
I am so horrified and appalled!
What freedoms dare we celebrate?
When we are bleeding racism
Aren’t you horrified? Aren’t we appalled?
What celebration is more than oneness?
I am so stabbed with solitude’s nothingness!
The dream of a barren, lonely desert wasteland
Is far more beautiful than the emptiness of race
Aren’t you stabbed? Aren’t we in solitude?
What unforgettable voice of courageous solidarity,
Will we summon to crush unforgivable racism
The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
