As for the poem, I have gone back and forth over whether or not it is appropriate to read today. Because it’s quite graphic, not at all uplifting or hopeful, in fact it’s pretty ugly. It spilled out of my head about a year ago while I was reading about Darfur and previous genocides. It began in a fit of helplessness, frustration and anger and ended with a tear in my eye. The upwelling of such powerful emotions took me by surprise and left me confused. It had been along time since I had tears in my eyes. While sifting through those thoughts and emotions a verse from an Indigo Girls song popped into my head. It’s a verse which for some reason stuck with me the first time I heard it, though I didn’t quite know why. It goes like this, Well the darkness has a hunger that’s insatiable. And lightness it has a call that’s hard to hear. I wrap my fear around me like a blanket. I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it, I’m crawling on your shore.

It occurred to me then that perhaps my own ego (big boys don’t cry) was a blanket of fear. Wrapped in it I felt secure and comfortable in my own little world. What I perceived as strength was in fact weakness, fear. Weakness which kept me in the dark, which prevented me from stepping into the lightness, to look at the world with eyes, mind and heart wide open. Fear, of exposing myself to the harsh human realities beyond my own little world. Stripped of my ego for that moment, without my blanket, I was exposed to hard questions about what responsibilities I have, and how I have lived up to those responsibilities to others who through no fault of their own are suffering.

And in a sense the ship of safety I sailed was this, my own country, a national ego. A country and ego which shield us very well, but sometimes blinds us to our own national weaknesses and faults.

Lastly, I believe the shore I found my self crawling upon was that of my own conscience. It was the shores of Sudan, Rwanda, Bosnia, Iraq, Cambodia all genocides which have taken place in my own life time. All painful reminders, past and present of what people are capable of and of what self proclaimed civilized nations are capable of turning their backs on. Painful reminders of the world society I am part of and now partly responsible for.

I decided to read this poem today because what is happening in Darfur as we stand here on the comfort of our own shores is horribly ugly, a sickening blight which challenges societies high minded notion that we as a world society are a civilized society.

Genocide Genocide Genocide

Do you know it

No I do not

Only in my mind

What is in your mind today

Is Genocide in your mind today

Slop Slop Slop go the soldiers in and out of the battered young girl

Her dull groans through blood and bile gurgle across the dark continent falling upon nations ears which refuse to hear

Can you hear Genocide today

Thump Thump Thump go the butts of rifles thumping young flesh and bone to pulp

Pain thumps across the dark continent to Nations which refuse to feel

Can you feel Genocide today

Crackle Crack Crack go the flames

Raw blistered flesh melts into air

The stench drifts across the dark continent to Nations which refuse to turn their noses to the breeze

Can you smell genocide today

Beat Beat Beat

Silence

Silent goes the heart beat of an infant clutched in mothers arms

Silence booms across the dark continent, to the Nations of the world

Hush now

A baby dies

Can you hear the silence of genocide today

I thank you all for having genocide on your mind today and a special thanks to the kids here who have done so much to raise awareness about this, I have learned a lot from you through my involvement with you in these events. I have learned a lot about responsibility, about passion lost, and passion found, about passion for people and for living, and for you I would say this. Often times we, meaning adults and society, allow our perceived earned wisdom to close our doors to fresh thought, experience and action, in so doing we sometimes close your doors as well. Our earned wisdom the collective earned wisdom of several thousand years of civilization have not earned us much in terms of living up to our self assigned label of a "civilized society". This is painfully evident simply because we are here today rallying against genocide. It’s evident by countless other atrocities past and present. This world desperately needs fresh thought, fresh ideas, fresh passion. That’s you, we need you. Though there is a sense of comfort behind closed doors, it’s a cold comfort, as it comforts so does it constrict and limit. Don’t constrict and limit yourselves, and never let anyone do it to you. The people we admire most are those who had the courage to open doors and step into the lightness. Be them, do likewise. Go out and knock down doors, pile them up high, build yourselves a bonfire with them to shine your light on the world.