the boy in history class

Growing up when I learned about atrocities in history class

I always struggled to understand how people could’ve let something like that pass

As a boy, I told myself:

They were just not like us

Didn’t have their courage and morals sorted out – unlike us

Oh how wrong the world has proven the boy I used to be

For we have seen spineless cowards and greedy leaders support a genocide with glee

To that boy, today I say:

Be the voice you had hoped the people in your history books had raised

For cruel atrocities are not just a thing of the past

Just look around and you’d be amazed

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Written by Ata Gowani