Consequently

A poem examining war and its consequences

Photo by UX Gun on Unsplash

This poem is part of the NaPoWriMo 2024 challenge to write a poem a day in April. This is the prompt for April 14.

Today’s (optional) prompt asks you to write a poem of at least ten lines in which each line begins with the same word (e.g., “Because,” “Forget,” “Not,” “If”).

Consequently, nations clash like thunder and lightning,
Their differences sparking fires that engulf the land,
As power-hungry leaders, thirsty for dominance,
Fuel the flames of conflict with their rhetoric.

Consequently, borders become battlefields,
Where soldiers march to the beat of war drums,
And families are torn apart, hearts heavy with sorrow,
As they flee from the devastation of their homes.

Consequently, the innocent suffers the most,
Caught in the crossfire of political ambition,
Their lives shattered like fragile glass,
Dreams crushed under the weight of war.

Consequently, the world watches in horror,
As nations wage wars of aggression,
Their reasons obscured by propaganda,
Their true motives hidden beneath a veil of lies.

Consequently, hatred spreads like a virus,
Infecting hearts and minds with prejudice and fear,
Tearing apart the fabric of humanity,
Leaving behind scars that may never heal.

Consequently, generations bear the burden,
Of the sins of their ancestors,
Haunted by memories of conflict,
As they struggle to build a world free from strife.

Consequently, peace becomes a distant dream,
A flickering flame in the darkness of chaos,
But hope lingers in the hearts of the resilient,
Who refuse to let war define their existence.

Consequently, we must strive for understanding,
To bridge the divides that separate us,
Find common ground amidst the turmoil,
And build a future where peace can prevail.

Consequently, empathy must be the language we speak,
With understanding a bridge of connection,
Compassion an armor against the flames of hatred,
Love a beacon of hope in times of despair.

Consequently, dialogue should be our weapon of choice,
Our words instruments of peace,
With listening superseding the roar of cannons,
Negotiation paving the path to resolution.

Consequently, let education be our shield,
Let knowledge dispel the shadows of ignorance,
Empowering minds reject the call to violence,
And nurturing hearts embrace harmony.

Consequently, let us rewrite the narrative of war,
Where conflicts are resolved through diplomacy,
Where justice triumphs over vengeance,
Where wounds of the past find healing in forgiveness.

Author’s Note

Full disclosure: I reworked a 4-stanza poem I had scribbled for a collection of poems about war earlier this year. The collection did not include that poem, but this NaPoWriMo prompt motivated me to rework it, by adding stanzas and making it worthy of publishing.

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