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Nov 16
poem 0 comments
bailly-i

For Paris


I used to live there!
I used to live there!
I used to live there!
I can’t stop thinking about it,
reality still hasn’t set in.

Walking through the hallways, dazed, 
thinking about how lucky we are,
barely on the map, 
barely here, barely there
barely noticed at all.

We pretend that we care,
a moment of silence- or two,
but do we stop and think,
what if it had been us?

Silence for solidarity,
where is the help?
Where are the people,
the ones that feel the same?

Think,
what if it had been you? Us?
Then we'd never be the same-
nothing would ever be the same… 

What if it had been me?
What if it had been me?
What if it had been me?
Most of my family is there
are they really all unscathed?
Are they really all okay?
Will we ever know?
Oh no.

Everytime I close my eyes,
I keep imagining that night,
everything was alright,
until it wasn’t
there was no way to know.
Then you watch your friend get shot, 
while you're let be
selecting victims, almost randomly.
Are you next? Will you be spared?
Is there any way to know?
Oh no... 

I cry for you-
I cry for me,
I rejoice I lost no family-
I cry for the fact that Paris,
will never be the same.

For Paris-November 13, 2015
“Nothing will ever be the same”
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Posted: 11.16.15
About the Author: bailly-i
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Archived Comments

Harshit
Nothing will never be the same.... Yes its right to say the pain will never be heeled....
11/18/2015 - 8:59pm
gliech
Bailly-i,
I, too, have family in the city and the feeling of dread you describe here really hit home. I second Usagi's feeling about the "pretend to care" line. Did you know YWP is having an open mic in Burlington this Friday night? Starts at 6 at Maglianero Cafe (47 Maple Street). I think this would be a super powerful performance piece and hope you'll take a chance on performing it at this event!
11/18/2015 - 8:59am
Usagi
This is powerful. It's frightening when a tragedy hits so close to your life and you realize how much chance plays into your safety and that of your loved ones. I think you can expand on "We pretend that we care", because that seems like an important point to you that you just barely touch on. I imagine it must be very strange to be surrounded by people who don't have the connection to Paris that you do and don't feel the tragedy as deeply.
I like "Is there any way to know?/ Oh no." It communicates the helplessness you feel. I'm not sure what you mean by "but not to be forgotten". The scars won't be forgotten?
11/17/2015 - 10:38am
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