'When I Was A Child...'

When I was a child

I read of horrors

I revelled in horrors

And couldn't imagine

What led people like me

To be so cruel,

To hurt other people,

To make them nothing.

I never imagined I'd see it happen,

See the cruelty,

See the hatred,

See the media

Busily stoking Mass xenophobia,

Mass fear and hatred.

Fear of the other,

Fear of our neighbours.

When I was a child

I lived through struggles,

I learned about struggles,

But never imagined

That I would be guilty.

Guilty of standing

By and not acting.

When I was a child,

I thought I'd be different.

But now I know different,

Frozen by fear,

Disgusting self interest.

When I was a child I never imagined

This.