I Pledge

by Bilal Saloo and Mohammed Barber

Life

Innocence

Weakness

Fear

Heartbreak

War…

War…

Urban dictionary says war does not tell us who is right, but who is left

Who is left?

Another 35 were buried yesterday

The youngest eight

More than two decades later,

We are still discovering

We are still burying

We have more yet to remember

More than two decades later.

 

Abdulah Salkic

Nezir Salkic

Redzo Salkic

Ahmo Omerovic

Abid Omerovic

Behadil Omerovic

 

A few, Lest we forget

Families torn asunder in this world

Who can only be reunited in the next

Let our still-weeping hearts not stop our words

Let us not forget,

The stories felt by the heart,

Let us not forget

Those who no longer are

Let us remember that genocide did not start with gas chambers

But with thoughts, words and sentences

Of us and them and them and us

And left to fester this poison kills

So let us make a pledge

I pledge to remember the victims and the survivors

I pledge to learn, to educate, to protect

I pledge to take action and not stand by

I pledge to stand up to hatred in all its forms

I pledge to challenge persecution

I pledge to end the scapegoating

I pledge to put aside us and them

I pledge to find common ground

I pledge to not forget our common humanity

I pledge to remind those that do

I pledge to build a safer world

I pledge to start with my own community

I pledge to start with those I know

I pledge to start with myself

I pledge.

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