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Abyss

by joanie 

Posted: 19 July 2004
Word Count: 72
Summary: Started as a Found Poem on the front of today's Telegraph. "Crisis in Sudan - Look at the terrified women and children and you stare into the abyss of man's inhumanity to man."


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Look at the terrified women -
look at the children.
Stare into the abyss
although it threatens you,
dragging you into its
bottomless depths.

Look

Look

don't be tempted
to turn away

Stare into the abyss
although you retch,
disgusted feelings rising
from the pit of your stomach.

Stare

Stare

don't be tempted
to ignore

Look, stare
into the abyss
of man's inhumanity to man.

You are Man

The Abyss is Yours








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Comments by other Members



roovacrag at 17:41 on 19 July 2004  Report this post
Joan a great poem.Well written and moving.
Well done.
Alice

joanie at 18:30 on 19 July 2004  Report this post
Thank you, Alice. It was just a gut reaction to the headlines today. I really felt like it was just as much my responsibility as anybody's. For 'The Abyss is Yours', read 'The Abyss is Mine'
Thanks,
joanie

olebut at 22:22 on 19 July 2004  Report this post
Joanie

an evocative poem
a friend of mine from some years back was involved with running one of the church charities trying to get aid into sudan he had a death sentence hanging over his head and was in front of a number of firing squads fortunately his boss must have been watching over him as he never was shot, he would tell us of such depravation amongst the christians in Sudan who became muslims for 6 days of the week to get food and then reverted to christianity on Sundays.

thank you for shaking us form teh comfort of our summers night in relative luxury and safety

david x

joanie at 11:49 on 20 July 2004  Report this post
Thank you, David. It's hitting the TV headlines today, too, I see.
joanie


olebut at 11:59 on 20 July 2004  Report this post
Joanie

hitting the headlines is great but will anybody do anything positiv eto help and stop it happening again

poemsgalore at 18:32 on 20 July 2004  Report this post
Gut reactions sometimes turn into great poems, and this is one. It's stark and hard hitting, brilliant.

joanie at 19:32 on 20 July 2004  Report this post
poems, thank you!

Mike, I know. I suppose everybody feels that there is hardly anything they can do apart from giving a bit of money, but there are millions of us out there/out here, and ........ oh you know what I mean. One feels so inadequate.

Thanks again.

joanie

<Added>

Aargh!! I wrote 'Mike' - I meant 'David' Sorry.


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