From my position on the shore,
I saw the sea of rolling tides
Filled with the incarnadine gore
That seeped through a murdered seal’s hide.
The abrupt cessation of life
At the hands of a vicious foe
Was the cause of incessant strife
For my sad soul which brimmed with woe.
Hope was receding with the light,
Which began to yield to the dark,
As the great sun ran from its plight.
It could not bear to face the fear.
The night became much darker still,
And the sun was nowhere in sight.
I turned to face the many hills,
The symbols of Istanbul’s might.
The city was drab and dreary,
And filled with the ominous sounds
Of a people’s intense weary.
The government there knew no bounds.
They killed indiscriminately,
Including women and infants.
They did so very brutally,
Eradicating their existence.
Every tear of mine has been shed.
Some for my now deceased brother,
Others for my now deceased sister.
Still, more for my deceased mother.
From my position on the shore,
There was no sign of any hope.
The Turks hated us to our core,
But I cannot mourn anymore.
We will survive, and we will thrive.
Nicholas Vickery
Latest posts by Nicholas Vickery (see all)
- From the Shore - May 19, 2021
Really well done, I have just recently learned a lot about the genocide it was nice to read your poetry and be well informed about the topic.
Dear Nicholas,
Amazing job!
You took me back many years,and when my tears finally dried I felt immence pride in your youth.
Հիանալի եւ հուզիչ։
You know you enjoy a poem when you read it 2-3 times. I like how you used nature, darkness and light, to represent suffering and hope.
I LOVE this poem SO MUCH! It made me spill water all over the table because I was so excited