In the darkness of our nightmares, the fears seem to multiply. Death and Pain hold hands and walk towards us. We plummet down a sharp cliff of depression and can’t seem to find a way out. There is no escape. No happy memories to turn to on this pitch-black night. Who will shine the light in these hours? Thousands of lives have already been lost in war and tragedy. We realise it is not a nightmare anymore. It’s reality. Where can we go dig for the truth, when all we have is our bare hands? Who would even recognise it if it was found amongst the rubble? The only thing that has ever united us is pain. The loss of innocence and a desire to consume everything in its path untill there is only ash.

I am in this chasm of darkness with you. We are like soldiers, in no-man’s-land. If we move, we will die. If we stay, we will perish. Our prayers are not heard out here. There is no light that would take them up to the great beyond.

So tell me what lies behind the colours of your flag? I only see a world divided and drowning in apologies. Miles and miles of wet, stinking soil, reeking of our mistakes. No rain or wind can wash away what has been done. There is no land left untouched by these dark hands of Hate. We now know the words of grief in every language. We’ve been hearing them for so long. And who will give their condolences to those who speak no more? Who will be left to grieve once all the wreaths have dried up? Was it all just to make the gravediggers rich?

They spit out the word Hope like it means anything anymore. Does it really? Can we close our eyes and imagine no countries, no possessions, and no hunger? Every breath taken by those who continue to breed hate in our world fills the air with poison. Can we even demand a cure? Ah! That deep gush of wind to the lungs is truly free from the shattered perceptions of progress. Would that even feel real?

Where does the unborn deserve to live? Is it even worth stirring them to life? Love, Hope, Kindness and Forgiveness. For now, they remain the only pillars that continue to hold up our fragile universal home. If there are some grains of it out there tonight, let it please come to Light. Let the prayers, support and spirit from around the world resonate and break the coldest hearts. May the warm rays of acceptance finally quench the undying thirst for power. As we walk into a new year, may we remember to remember all those who have been wronged. May we find our way back to the light and do what is right for us all.

Quote. We can bomb the world to pieces, but we cannot bomb it to peace.