The past ridicules her,
Reminds her how much she had to suffer,
The future frightens her,
Reminds her how much more she has to suffer,
The atomic flash destroyed her life,
Left her all alone to deal with pain and strife,
Despite all this, the hibakusha continues to cry for peace,
With wrinkled hands, she prays for violence to cease,
Her melancholic eyes well with tears,
Her lips quiver with unspoken fears,
Once again, the bomb ticks away,
On the threshold of destruction, our world continues to sway,
Oh ignorant ones! Remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki!
Remember the heart breaking tales of Shinji, Shigeru and Sadako Sasaki!
She begs history not to repeat itself,
She cannot stand anymore atomic bomb victims like herself,
Destroy such devastating and dreadful inventions!
And build a new world with magnanimity and good intentions,
Today, the hibakusha once again feels insecure,
She cries out, “No more atomic bombs! No more wars! Please no more!”
Rumana Mehdi
Rumana Mehdi is a Pakistani poet living in the USA. She is the author of the poetry collections 'My Peace Poems', and 'Lilies, Gunpowder and Dreams'.