Through the cracks in the asphalt, new grass rises—
this city has been silent for too long, disquiet has
settled in its bones. The scab of history was scratched
open by asymmetric tears but how can it be war when
one side always wins? When the falsehood of few
becomes the truth of many? The skill of perception, the
eye peering through the prism doesn’t see the other
looking back at it. A battle with no front line, no
rhythm, no rules — in human versus human, faith
cannot be the arbiter. Consider the evidence, death
needs a path to be meaningful, so it can become
the end. Life needs pain to know that it is still alive.
And yet this city is numb, an uncertain mist shrouds
every exit. Here, now, why are the odds still skewed?
THOUGHT PURGE 
“When the falsehood of few becomes the truth of many?” You said it all in this one line. Perfect write!
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Thanks so much, Vivian.
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🙂
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Dismal lines. We did think that we might re-emerge different. I guess the same old story repeats itself.
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Thoughtfully penned – as always. ‘Here Now’ is, indeed … a very strange place to be.
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“how can it be war when / one side always wins?” That question will stay with me for long while. How can it be, indeed? And will this ever change…
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May we humans change our focus to cooperation and unity. Earth and all things living need it so bad.
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i love your expression here. it’s always saddening to witness fighting and feuds in humanity.
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“Life needs pain to know that it is still alive. And yet this city is numb, an uncertain mist shrouds
every exit.” This is incredibly raw and poignant. We are on the same wavelength today, Rajani! 💝
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The questions your poem asked, the message you shared … thought provoking. A great write.
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The city may be numb, but so are individuals. The pandemic has shrouded us all with the mist of uncertainty: Is anyplace safe anymore?
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There will always be cracks in the falsehoods imposed upon us. We have to pay attention to those sprouts of true when they grow up from out of them.
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Sadly war is started by foolish rulers and pain and death suffered by innocents. Over thousands of years we have learned very little.
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That’s true!
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So deep with so many truths laid bare. Nice one
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Thank you, Anthony.
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I love the images of new grass rising through cracks in the asphalt, Rajani, and the ‘scab of history [was] scratched / open by asymmetric tears’. How true that ‘in human versus human, faith cannot be the arbiter’. These are painful times – we are still alive.
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Very painful… all the old divides are back and in greater strength… it’s quite horrible what’s happening around the world that we have to fight a pandemic and hate at the same time.
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“The scab of history was scratched open by asymmetric tears but how can it be war when
one side always wins?” Very well expressed A powerful poem about a sad truth
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Thanks so much, Marja.
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Why indeed? I pray that we’ll find new ways and not sink back into the same old horrors.
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That’s hopeful! Though am not very confident.
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“How can it be war when one side always wins?” How, indeed. Time for the many to out-voice the few.
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Let’s hope so… though deeply ingrained mindsets are hard to change…
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