As we call for peace upon our shores
A glimmer of hope, a phoenix soars
Rising from the ashes, it’s there - no doubt
A seed of change starts to sprout
Growing pleas to end the fight
Brave journalists bring reality into the light
Protestors rally to end the pain
But beyond war’s border, a different refrain
“It’s truly a tragedy” - families broken
Turning a blind eye, our leaders have spoken
Flags flutter in the winds of strife
Democracy dances on the edge of a knife
Oh, how we wish for a world anew
How did such power end up with so few
Echoes of gunfire ignoring what’s fair
A whole nation sinks into deep despair
Dreams of peace, they too, lie dead
A battlefield painted varying shades of red
Obeying their orders, soldiers march on
Chaos unbroken by the break of dawn
About the Creator
Joe O’Connor
New Zealander living in London
Teacher of English and History, and sport-lover
Mostly short stories and poems📚
Feel free to be honest- one constructive comment beats a hundred generic ones
Currently writing James The Wonderer
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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Comments (5)
I love it🥰
I really enjoyed this. Impactful inverse poem! 😊👏
Very powerful beautiful poem!
I love the flip towards optimism when read in reverse. Your poem was so intense and evocative! I loved it!
Wow. This is fantastic. That backwards reading is so so awesome, the pacing and meter really shine. I feel so much more uplifted after finishing it backwards, lol. Amazing how the color changes. Bravo!