To Speak is to Live

Teresa Harrison-Best wrote this poem following the atrocities in Paris on Wednesday.  

She has written it as a tribute to the people who lost their lives because they chose freedom over tyranny. May they Rest in Peace …

 

To Speak is to live

You can burn me, shoot me, hunt me down,
you can never take my voice.
You can threaten me with untold things,
you must make your choice.

You think your violence shuts me up,
you should think again.
You think that weapons fight your cause,
you see them as a friend.

You blame me for my right to speak,
you spurn my chosen words.
You stifle freedom with your gun,
you think you will subvert.

You have no right to punish me,
you act without God’s will.
You stand alone in what you say,
you win because you kill?

You castigate me for my views,
you think you can supress.
You, my friend, have lost the war
as I will not be oppressed.

 

Written by: Teresa Harrison-Best

About the author

Teresa H-B
3278 Up Votes
Teresa lives in Worthing with her husband Stuart and their three rescue cats. She has recently retired from a long career in the Health and Social care sector, and has taken up Mosaics, Pilates and walking cricket. Her love of writing has always been prevalent throughout her life, and she wrote Catawall, fluent in feline following major surgery as a form of therapy. Her love of rhyme and rhythm feature in Catawall and her subsequent children’s books featuring Mackerel a piratical cat who captures the heart of everyone, even the ships mice and rats! ‘Mackerel and The Jolly Daisy’, ‘Mackerel and the Treasure Map’ and ‘Mackerel Saves the Day’. Her latest project Doggee Longlegs enters young fiction aimed at older children. Doggee is about young dog who starts life in a rescue shelter, overlooked on the homing day. Teresa is a great advocate of all animals and feels passionately about animal welfare, both at home and abroad.

More from Teresa H-B

The Mind is Willing
The Mind is Willing! My mind is totally willing but my body’s not caught on, well, I...
Read More
A man of Consequence
A Man of Consequence He was a man of consequence, hardworking all his life, married with...
Read More
We Can't Imagine
This poignant poem was written by Teresa Harrison-Best to commemorate the anniversary of the...
Read More
The Stranger On The Shore
This poem is the tale of a veteran of the Normandy landing who honours his fallen comrades for the...
Read More
If you enjoyed reading this, show your appreciation to the author with a thumbs up!

Teresa H-B would love your feedback, please leave your comments below:

Loading Comments

Showcase your literature

Not a member?

You need to be a member to interact with Silversurfers. Joining is free and simple to do. Click the button below to join today!

Click here if you have forgotten your password
Click here to visit the showcase home page