“She was Six” published at Chewers & Masticadores

On By Mike U.In Poetry

I’m pleased to let you know my poem “She was Six” has been published at Chewers & Masticadores. Many thanks to Nolcha Fox and her team for their kindness in sharing this poem with their readers. I’m deeply grateful to have my work included among that of many talented writers at Chewers & Masticadores. Thank you, Nolcha!

“She was Six”

“she was six
and on the wrong side
of a tyrant’s bomb sights
her small broken body
no match for
the shells
and the hell
that befell
her country
city
neighborhood
block
home
her blood the price
of freedom
she was six…”

I’d be delighted and honored if you’d read the rest of my poem by clicking this link. Also, be sure to follow and subscribe to Chewers & Masticadores. It’s a wonderful place for those who love writing.

50 thoughts on ““She was Six” published at Chewers & Masticadores”

      1. Anytime bro… Sometimes WP app has issues, and I don’t get notifications.so I gotta go searching to find stuff. It’s weird. But I’m always gonna be supportive of your craft mate..it’s quality. 👏👏👏

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    1. I wrote this piece in March 2022 shortly after seeing a news report from Ukraine about a Russian missile attack that killed a six-year-old girl. The doctor who tried (and failed) to save her life cried into the camera, “Show this to Putin!” It was devastating. It sparked all sorts of images in my head about everyday violence that ends up affecting children. This certainly applies to the current situation in the Middle-East, too. It’s unfathomable to think of what we’ve become as a species when dead kids are acceptable collateral damage.

      Thanks for reading and letting me know your thoughts, Jeff. I appreciate it.

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  10. Beautifully composed and so incredibly evocative. I fear we lost our way even well before “a voice is heard in Ramah”(and steadily so after artificial b.c. and especially after Roe v Wade). It’s the little ones who are most afflicted in this life. It is overwhelming.

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    1. Thanks so much. It’s such a difficult time, with so much to mourn and so much to fear. This poem came out like an explosion and was hard to write, but it sort of wrote itself. The sense of futility I feel is exhausting. I appreciate your support so much, and I thank you for visiting. You’re always welcome here, my friend.

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  11. Congratulations Mike, such a heartfelt and poignant poem. I understand you wrote this last year for a child in Ukraine and it is so sad to see this war is still continuing. It is heartbreaking to see what is happening to the children in Gaza too and I truly wish for peace and greater protection of children and young people in times of war.

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    1. Thank you kindly, Xenia. Yes, that image from the war in Ukraine last year was the basis for this piece, but sadly it’s still relevant today with what’s happening in the Middle-East, as well as what’s taking place daily in gun-crazy America. I wonder what true peace and safety would feel like? I’m with you: I truly wish for peace and protection for our youth in wartime and all other times as well. Thanks so much for your support, dear friend. It means so much to me.

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    1. Yes, and it seems like it’s happening everywhere all the time. The word “tragic” doesn’t even begin to describe violence against children. The sad thing is, all of this is preventable if only people would stop hating one another long enough to realize that kids are being caught in the crossfire, whether it’s war or gang violence or domestic violence or senseless gun violence like that which plagues America. It’s horrific.

      Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts, Cassa. I appreciate it.

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    2. You’re so right, and it’s a terrible thing when kids have their childhoods taken from them because of something like this. I went through this as a kid with domestic violence at home while growing up. I feel like I lost my childhood at age seven, and I’m still trying to recover from all of it. I suppose that’s why I’m so adamant about this topic. I want kids to have the kind of happy childhood I never had.

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    1. Many thanks, Lauren. Such is humanity in the 21st century… We can do better, and we must. There’s still hope–our little WordPress community proves this. Thanks as always for your kindness. I’m truly grateful for you, my friend. 🙂

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    1. Thanks a bunch, Aaysid. I’m with you–I don’t understand how humanity can be so devastatingly and wantonly cruel, either, and it leaves me feeling powerless and beyond despair. Writing about it helps a bit, but it doesn’t fix the problem. I hope it’s not too late for us. Thanks for your kindness as always, my friend. It means a lot to me. 🙂

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  17. Heart wrenching, Mike, I read it yesterday but didn’t have the words then. Beautifully crafted poetry; the words, the cadence, the repetition, and the imagery all mesh to incite emotion and hopefully action. Thanks for sharing your gifts and the truth we all need to see and if we can, change.

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    1. Thanks so much, Peggy. These are hard truths, to be sure, but sometimes it’s impossible to skirt around the edges and expect any sort of change to occur. It’s a difficult poem–both to write and to read–and I’m so grateful to you that you took the time to check it out and leave such a kind and thoughtful comment. I don’t know if we as humans can change, or if we can, how long it will take, but we must do something before we lose our humanity.

      Thanks again, dear friend. I appreciate you and all you do.

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    1. Many thanks, Bernie. If only we could see that these innocent victims have names, faces, hopes and dreams, perhaps we could change our trajectory as a species and learn to love one another rather than try to kill each other. It’s a fraught time in our world. I hope we can change before all is lost. Thanks for your kind words and for stopping by. I appreciate it. 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much, Vipanjeet. It’s heart-rending to see all the violence around the world and to know children are dying. It’s beyond tragic. I appreciate your kind words so much. Thanks for stopping by. 

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