My Only Cry (Poem) by Leila Ibrahim Semaan

Following text is poem titled "My Only Cry: Close the Arms Factories" by Leila Ibrahim Semaan

Who are you deceiving?
You ask me to speak to children,
 but I shall also address you, the grown-ups.
I am still a child, I don’t know how to lie like you.

All the children of the world, oh adults of the world,
Could not rebuild what you destroy.
A better world won’t be able to be rebuilt
without you, the adults.

You know that our cries are useless,
in a deaf world.
Now, my friends, let’s not talk of friendship,
Peace and fellowship,
these words should be spoken by adults.

Enough promises.
Enough waiting.
Come everyone, ask them to stop making arms,
to stop making wars break out,
to stop telling lies.

Listen, listen carefully: we are sick,
you are sick;
but we are here.

So, in your name, we children,
we ask them:
“Close your arms factories
and think about taming the winds.”

Right-wing politics matter little to us,
we are children.
Left-wing politics matter little to us.
Our life is essentially affection
But, through your fault,
a veil of dust lies over it.

Summary

The child protagonist is pained to realise that the world is sitting on the verge of destruction. Every nation is busy in the rat race of producing war arms and accumulating the wealth of ammunition. The child, though young and innocent, is aware of the dangers of war. He holds the adults responsible for creating a situation where everyone is living under the shadow of war and wholesale destruction. He earnestly implores the grown-ups to close the arms factories, at least for the sake of the coming generation, to restore the environment where children can once again breathe the air of affection free from the fear of destruction.