You stand in the middle of a crowded town
The air is filled with the scent of hard dung and sweat
You see a young man, limbs being torn apart
And hear his screams piercing the wind like a rusty knife
Some cheer, others stand silently still, but all go about their day the same way
This has happened for centuries and will continue to happen for many more.
Numb to the bloodshed around us
You sail across the sea to a new world
There is much adventure to be had
Conquering the Aztec, Inca, and Maya
Finding mountains and lakes of gold and silver
You build a city made of bones and force the survivors to watch and serve
You raise your children on the same soil basted in forced blood and sweat of the enslaved
You force those taken from their homes and across the sea to work endlessly
You whip and tear people limb from limb
This happens for many more centuries
The trauma being passed down and growing
Numb to the pain around us
You live in the modern day
A time when there are no problems
Or at least better than before
Slavery and segregation had died out many years ago
You know that the meat you eat is processed by a million immigrants being paid barely a penny
You know your clothes are made from the sweat and muscle of both innocent and guilty prisoners taken straight off the street
The newest type of enslavement
But you choose to look away
Not out of hate or malice, but of an ancient fear
A fear that was caused by centuries of pain and bloodshed
Rather than act we chose fight, fly or freeze
You don’t need to start a movement, but instead choose to see
See that hurt part inside of you
And tell it that it’s loved and does not have to fear anymore
We are numb to the others around us
Grade: 11