06.08.2020: From Soldiers, I Flee

From Soldiers, I Flee

The stomp of soldiers’ footsteps

The bullets going through the crowd

The blood of fresh bodies laying

I can’t see the birds through thick fog

Screams echos in the vast flourish fields

Voices of families torn apart in the mist

The stomp of soldiers’ footsteps

The bullets going through the crowd

The blood of fresh bodies laying

Those that tortured pierce through my heart

Bones laying in a frightened state

I hold on tightly to every hand I can

The stomp of soldiers’ footsteps

The bullets going through the crowd

The blood of fresh bodies laying

My body running, my eyes turn back

Houses scream out burning fire

Animals scattered to ashes of dust

The stomp of soldiers’ footsteps

The bullets going through the crowd

The blood of fresh bodies laying

Branches, leaves, and bamboo all graze me

Through the jungle of deep unknown

My feet cautiously outrun the ground

The stomp of soldiers’ footsteps

The bullets going through the crowd

The blood of fresh bodies laying

Among the strangers, I holler tears

My mind clouded by sorrows

Must move forward no matter what

The stomp of soldiers’ footsteps

The bullets going through the crowd

The blood of fresh bodies laying

Sunsets and sunrises are uncountable

Hungar and fright consume all of me

Crossing the river, how close am I

The stomp of soldiers’ footsteps

The bullets going through the crowd

The blood of fresh bodies laying

Finally, I see the gate

A relief rushes to welcome me

But traces of echo replay

The stomp of soldiers’ footsteps

The bullets going through the crowd

The blood of fresh bodies laying

By Tay M.

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Background: The poem depicts a girl fleeing from the moment she sees the Burmese soldiers, to the moment she sees the refugee camp. Throughout her journey, there are three lines of the poem that serve as a constant replay of an image. The poem begins in the middle of chaos when the Burmese came into her village. She is then forced to run into the jungle with strangers. She follows the crowd while experiencing hard conditions. Finally, she sees the refugee camp but her journey remains a mystery. The poem depicts brutal imagery, but many had to cope and live with it. This is a young girl and her story.