Never Pretty, but True

Let me tell you a story from a place far away;
You might never go there, you don’t need to feel sorry;
It’s about to get gory and you’ll never feel safe,
It will not be the same after losing all glory.

Those that wake up in tears, they understand far more
Than a heart made of stone that has never felt fears;
After endless, cruel years you’ll become one of those;
What was once a red rose now’s the cause of cold screams.

You could see dirt and blood, the smell of rotten flesh
Would have made you regret all of your selfish thoughts;
Agony felt so raw, you couldn’t even dare
To ask no one for help; it was easier to mourn.

No one had anything, children died without food,
The flaming need to improve quickly drowned by small tricks;
Rather than gruesome dreams, they were nightmares in proof;
There’s no need to show ghouls when reality’s just as thick.

And then violence sparked up like a wildfire ignites,
You could see someone die before the setting sun;
No one dared to speak up for they could kill you fast
Or your loved ones could last long enough for the shot.

And it pierces through our souls, so unbearably sad;
Depression flared up fast, everyone felt so lost,
It’s no longer a home when safety’s from the past,
It corrupted our minds, there was nowhere to go.

And our grandparents left, dignity was a myth,
The resemblance of screams in their rooms could be heard;
You could see and feel their pain, it roamed free on the streets;
There was never a “me” when another was faint.

You could cry all you can, no one was going to help,
Kick and scream there’s no shame when no one showed you a hand,
Flinch away, bear the scars with expressionless face;
No one would spare a glance, they had worse fears to man.

You feel threatened by rape? Try to feel how it was
For a five year old heart with no parents to care;
You think you don’t feel safe? Try to go sleep at night
With the certainty that you would not see next day.

So much blood and mistakes were spread out in that time,
Whether in broad daylight, didn’t matter at all;
It was infinitely worse in the dead of the night,
You can kind of see now, there was no fear of ghosts.

Harsh insults the norm, not one trace of respect
Like a whole different place where our people grew up;
And the mocking of those who watched us in despair
Like they were entertained by the death and the loss.

Yes, this is far away and I pray you don’t come,
But this isn’t a plot that’s made up from my mind;
This is happening now, you believe it or don’t,
Please just pray for our souls before we all should die.