When Will the War Be Over?

When Will the War Be Over?

When will the war be over?

It’s been almost a century

I await the day I can shout

From the top of Deemawso

When my feet rest on the soil

The land I never got to see

When will the war be over?

It’s been too long to count

I dream about it countless

Of the place called Shadaw

Where my memories lay still

Dear ones I never got to see

When will the war be over?

It’s been so far gone 

I wish for the end is tomorrow

The voices ring “Kay Beh Buh Lah”

What is there for me to cling to

All there is blood for me to see

When will the war be over?

It’s been ongoing for forever

I anticipate again and again

To the beats of Tawmoe

Where in the silence for me

The peace I never got to see

When will the war be over?

It’s been an endless wonder

I have been longing for ages   

For a glimpse of the Karenni State 

When I can say, “I’m home” 

To the land, soon I hope to see

By Tay M.

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Background: I never got to see my homeland as I was born in a refugee camp. Although I never got to step foot in my homeland, I somehow miss the place. When I listen to all the stories and narratives, I feel as if my heart knows the place, and my history and roots belong there. I wrote this poem to declare my hopes to step foot in my homeland one day as I wait for the conflict to end, just as many hope.