A Cry For Justice
Poem by Samantha Peltrau, Phoenix Flyer, Junior, iPreparatory Academy
Poem by Samantha Peltrau, Phoenix Flyer, Junior, iPreparatory Academy
The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest is an essay contest open to Juniors and Seniors in Miami Dade. Students write about an ethical issue they encounter in the world, and after intense research and introspection they convey what they have learned about ethics, themselves, and the world as a result. My essay, “My Promise to Humanity, to Ethics,” honors Wiesel’s legacy while presenting my feelings and observations about police brutality and the 2020 elections. At the suggestion of Ms. Keller for Poetry Month, I took inspiration from Ms. Muller, who read my essay, and included her favorite line (bold). I hope you enjoy the poem, and I wish all future applicants the best of luck with the contest!
Wise and Anguished Gaia
I’ve finally seen truth
Your black and brown children fall to the ground, Our blood soaks your soil
I listen as you cry out for justice
You all but whisper a soft eulogy for the fallen
Will I be next?
Lawmakers, judges, and police surround us on all sides
We’ve raised our hands
We’ve gotten on the ground
We’ve surrendered
Yet execution follows swiftly
Motherly and Morose Gaia
I can’t believe my eyes
Buildings burn and children cry from mace
Bullets fly and the funeral procession proceeds
Through city after city
Can you hear our dirge, this somber baritone?
Am I allowed to be hopeful?
This “land of the free” isn’t, and has never been, free
Disrupt the way of the world
Galvanize humankind
Declare this nation as ours
And end the cycle of racial violence
My promise to humanity, to this Earth
Is to refuse complacency
To never settle,
To speak up for those that cannot
I’ve finally seen truth
Your black and brown children fall to the ground, Our blood soaks your soil
I listen as you cry out for justice
You all but whisper a soft eulogy for the fallen
Will I be next?
Lawmakers, judges, and police surround us on all sides
We’ve raised our hands
We’ve gotten on the ground
We’ve surrendered
Yet execution follows swiftly
Motherly and Morose Gaia
I can’t believe my eyes
Buildings burn and children cry from mace
Bullets fly and the funeral procession proceeds
Through city after city
Can you hear our dirge, this somber baritone?
Am I allowed to be hopeful?
This “land of the free” isn’t, and has never been, free
Disrupt the way of the world
Galvanize humankind
Declare this nation as ours
And end the cycle of racial violence
My promise to humanity, to this Earth
Is to refuse complacency
To never settle,
To speak up for those that cannot