The Truth Must Be Heard - In Memory Of Gauri Lankesh Poem by Lalithashree Ganesh

Hush now, hush.
'But -'

Sshhhhhhhh

'Never say too much, my dear.
Never say too much.'

'But -'

Sshhhhhhh

'Let the real thoughts pass, my friend.
Some things are better left unsaid, ' he said.

'But -'

'No, no, no, no. NO.
Silence is golden, sister,
Don't you know?
So keep quiet, stay unheard.
Won't you? '

'But -'

Sshhhhh!

'Come on, now. Plaster his mouth, delete her thoughts,
silence his voice.
Stitch up all truths
and burn them into ash and ether.'

'But -'

'SILENCE! Speak not
for others. Speak not
for yourself... Hold that truth by the neck,
real tight; and bury it deep.
Till it gets too rotten
to unearth
after almost being erased...
from collective memory.'

'But -'

Ssshhhhhh!

'Kill the truth.
Kill the lone voice.
Bullet the brave.
Burn the righteous.'

'But -'

'Ssshhhhh citizens! We urge you
to mandatorily shut your mouths.
Or get ready for the quiet grave,
so everything you are and everything you feel,
can cease to be.'

'BUT! We beg to differ. We say, that's enough now.
We've had enough
of You, you, and You!
You, the thief of freedom and courage,
are no democracy.
You! Are the demon
against light,
against change,
against LOVE,
and truth.

We, the citizens, urge you
to stop trying
to control our thoughts, and cut our tongues.

We won't stitch up our mouths.
NO, we won't.
We will no longer stifle our thoughts,
or suppress our feelings.
NO, we won't.
We will not listen
to the words of petty-minded fools.
NO Sir, we won't.
We will not deny,
the many truths that are aching
to be heard.
We will all, rise up,
against every tide
and every bad guy.
We will speak and write
the truth.

For ourselves
For others
For the those who are afraid.

We will not live in boxes of silence
and cages of oppression.
Not for the government,
not for the criminals.
We will speak our truths...


For it is only fear,
that can stoop so low
and throw bullets,
into the heart of truth.'

~