I Look, I See, I Feel.

Excellence Award in the 'Step Write Up 2011' competition

I see….
As I look around me all I see is hot, golden sand stretching out for miles, into the horizon as far as the eye can see. Our homes, simple yet full of love and memories slowly collapsing, falling to the ground. As we watch none of us attempt to regain our lives. We have tried time and time again but nothing has changed, we no longer have the strength to hope, to aspire, to dream. Mothers sitting by their children, looking helplessly into their eyes, as their tears run dry. I watch miserably as the men return from their hunt empty handed once again. They look into the eyes of their daughters, wives, and sisters struggling to keep the hope alive. I look up at the sky, not a cloud in sight, only the clear blue sky. Its calmness astounds me as it looks down at the disastrous scene below, yet doesn’t move, doesn’t change, day in day out it is always there watching, just watching.

I hear….
I sit silently and I listen. I hear the wind wailing as if trying to say something, as if it is warning us of a dreadful event, but what could it be? The worst has come and ceased to leave. The wind slowly dies down, but is soon replaced by the wailing cries of the mothers, wailing for their children, wailing for their life, and soon to be their death. I hear the raspy breathing of the children as their heart beat slows and they take their last breath. The wailing gets louder as the mothers scream, burying their faces in the hot sand as they mourn the loss of their children. Hours pass and their cries die down. The squawks of the vultures above echo through the desert as they circle above, watching, waiting patiently for their next meal. The quiet whimper of the few remaining children barely audible through the loud silence, slices through my heart, as they wait lying in the hot sand, any glimmer of hope drained out of them as they linger clasping their fate. I hear a thump and slowly turn my head and watch as one of the men falls to the ground, lying in the sand slowly taking his last breaths, no one moves. We all sit still as we watch our destiny unfolding before our eyes.

I feel….
I lie down in the hot sand and I feel the small pebbles digging into my back, the hot sun beating down on my bare legs, the wind whipping sand into my eyes, my stomach groaning, begging for nourishment. I feel I am sick at heart as I am constantly surrounded by death. The grief and desperation has made me numb. I no longer grieve the death of others, I no longer try to help my brothers and sisters, and I no longer have any empathy for those suffering around me. I have lost hope as I am no different to anyone else. I am a 16 year old girl, I have lived in Somalia my whole life and I have suffered with the famine since the day I was born. All that there is left to do is wait for my turn. As I wait in line to receive my fate I feel I am nearing the front of the queue. It is close and I can no longer run from reality. As I close my eyes I smile as I realise the suffering is finally over.

FOLLOW US


25

Write4Fun.net was established in 1997, and since then we have successfully completed numerous short story and poetry competitions and publications.
We receive an overwhelming positive feedback each year from the teachers, parents and students who have involvement in these competitions and publications, and we will continue to strive to attain this level of excellence with each competition we hold.

KEEP IN TOUCH

Stay informed about the latest competitions, competition winners and latest news!