Lay down your arms Poem by Fernando Pinto do Amaral

Lay down your arms, go on, stop giving in
to the wills of others manoeuvring you
like a lost pawn in this game
with no rules or truths which might dress you
with armours and shields of other lives.
Lay down your arms slowly, because the world
will follow its course among planets
buried in the darkness that ignores
the zombie steps of fate
when at the hour of reckoning you'll hardly hear
the recoiled muted voices,
as their melody whispers
the blood's memory, the most ancient
gasp of wind on your face.

Translated by Ana Hudson