I wrote this in reaction to oft heard utterances that suggest that those who live/lived under dictators somehow were sleepwalking as the dictators took and held power and thus were deserving of those dictators… I have been writing and re-writing this for such a long time now, because it is painful to see the world repeating the same mistakes, over and over and over. But we are children of time… And we forgot that monsters often come with smiling faces. They come offering us gifts. Monsters that come snarling and foaming at the mouth only exist in children’s fairy tales. Most monsters come to us with honeyed tongues and only gradually draw back the mask to reveal their faces. But we should know when we see them. Because we have seen them before. And I think… we will see them again. We see them now.
We who have lived under dictators
Did not see them coming
Each time.
How much worse it is
For those who think
It could never happen
To them?
We who have lived under dictators
Did not believe that
It could happen again.
How much worse it is
For those who think
Dictators impossible
For them?
We who lived under dictators
Tasted the metal edge of fear
Smelt the stench of blood in the streets
Walked alongside dread
And despair knocked on our doors
When the rain washed it all away
We said, ‘never again’
Every where, ‘never again’
Fell asleep saying, ‘never again’
As they walked back
Through the open door.
We who have lived under dictators
Did not see them coming
Each time.
How much worse it is
For you…
You who think
It could never
Ever
Ever
Ever
Happen
To You?
Watch your open door
Here they come
Smiling faces
Bearing gifts
Honeyed tongues
Dark hearts
Just like ours
Just like ours.
Here they come
Again.
