It’s a horror of ever widening scope.
Realize, we can’t deny total responsibility.
Children died all over this land, at our hands,
fulfilled the foolish rules by the head of state.
To blame, we are branded the killers,
at this date, our fate claimed.

Torn from loving family ties by grand lies,
education was a prize to be sought.
In cruel schools, they were caught, stranded,
scorned, often raped insane, again and again.
So many tried to escape the pain, the hate
Many more cried day and night, forlorn.

I apologize for my race, my colour white
a damn disgrace, presently not right.
It’s forever a shame, we face, never erased.
I mourn genocide, at a cost I can’t ignore,
entire generations lost to planned evil,
wishing they had never been born.

Sworn to secrecy, it’s a case of fatal fraud
in the name of God above and sanctified.
This is my outcry and my reconciliation.
I can’t cope with the guilt I’ve built inside.
I pray for forgiveness, hope to save me.
Nothing will ever be the same.

Still more unmarked graves are traced.
I will adorn them, wise, embrace their culture.
We will rise on the wings of snow white doves,
pure, brave and free to fly with true pride.

-Ayami Greenwood

I’m not going to sleep tonight
because of the fright.
If these nightmares continue to scare me,
I won’t be able to stay sane.

It’s an inane world out there.
Never before have I felt
such anguish, such pain.
We have been dealt a vicious blow.

Ruin and havoc reign, our plight unfair.
All this misery says beware to me.
I’m not able to fight for what’s right.
Life is strife, unstable.

I’m going to stay up all night long
and keep on guard, be strong.
It is too hard for me to know why
so many die.

I’m going to pray with deep devotion
On my knees to please the Holy One,
I can’t go wrong, astray,
following my inner light.

-Ayami Greenwood

He was not wearing a top hat
or a long black cape, draped alluringly
He did not speak with a silver tongue,
charming me with his language skills.

He simply offered me wild thrills
that I, a scapegoat, could not refuse
After that, I could not stop popping pills,
killing time, committing crimes!

He gloated, swearing it was my fault.
Then, he raped me, ravaged me savagely,
scaring me to no end, tearing me apart,
wreaking havoc, alarm in my life.

I cannot pretend no harm was done.
He attacked, abused me and thought it was fun.
Shame hung over my head, blame as well.
I wished that I were dead, dead and in hell.

Surely, the devil is his name.
Rape is just one of his games.
Instead of strife, now I need a life
of calm, of common good, meek and mild.

From the start, I should have said halt
when, he offered me wild thrills.
Still, when he came to me, I was weak.
Now, I’m strong of will, pure of heart.

-Ayami Greenwood