The modern world beaks my heart in silence

Trading a smile for tears seems like a raw deal
Until it’s the price we pay for living

And loving costs much more

As the world goes up in flames,
The beauty of the fire turns to fear

The ashes blind us further as saltwater makes riverbeds
On the cheeks of a worried mother

The pavement quakes with the sounds of heartache
Footsteps from the past march angrily again,

Unable to R.I.P. the weeds up by the roots

Like a dandelion puff,
One breath of hot air sends seeds everywhere

Restless sorrow settles on deaf ears and turned heads
Dismissive fingers point to desperate nots

A pen cannot do justice
To the injustices of the world

But we right the record to remember, not repeat
To walk in another’s shoes, another’s footsteps

If shouts of the voiceless go unheard
And actions are condemned,

Restraints remain,
And handcuffs only take their place