When chapters 176 and 177 came around I knew I'd end up writing something for it at some point. I was thinking a one-shot drabble, but after writing for the ERASED fandom, I decided on poetry instead.
In some ways, both in style and concepts, this could be seen as an accompaniment to the other 3E poem I wrote 'We Are Your Shadows'- the collective voice, the ambiguous 'you' they are addressing, the rebellion and anger etc...but it isn't a sequel or anything like that, so you don't need to worry on that count. That being said, obviously if you haven't read that poem I'd love it if you did! And I do hope you enjoy this one- please do leave me some feedback afterwards!
Here we are now,
assembled in sadness.
There is one final roll call
we need to attend and so
that is where
we climb to now.
Do you see us?
if you do, what are you thinking?
No doubt you presume that
our endeavour is pointless,
that we'd be so much better off
yielding to the heavens.
But the thing is, we
cannot do that.
We cannot allow that to
be how this ends.
Forbid us, detain us, restrain us,
we'll just fight harder and
advance onwards just as
we've always been doing.
For we worked far too hard
to even get to this point so
the least we could get
is the final choice.
If you were watching us, what would you say?
Is it us you'd even be seeing?
Perhaps you would
beg, try to reason.
reassure us that we're
not responsible for the darkness
we were coerced into.
Forgiveness would be stretched out
towards us on silver platters,
supplemented with promises that
nobody would even dream of
berating, blaming, hating us
for getting caught in all that.
But then, you'd just betray your
own blindness and deafness.
Though we have been
swept away and beaten down
it is clear you know nothing if
you would say such things.
We were not caught; we
waded in and struggled
our way here.
So if we were to
turn it all over to those
who hadn't toiled like we had or
to others who had not laughed
and grown with us,
then forgiveness would be useless,
for we would not be able
to give it to ourselves.
Can you still see us?
At this point, is there anything left to say?
Maybe it would be fear
that would govern you
and your next words.
Seeing only children
possessing things that
children should not possess,
you'll try to remind us that
we're only fifteen, that
at this age it is movie tickets,
textbooks and the latest trends
that we should hold onto, not
the weapons we've come to
know so well.
And though parts of us
would wish to thank you
for such concern, in truth
we've come too far and
become too bitter for such things.
Because, you see,
we stopped being just fifteen
an eternity ago.
Still, that matters little now.
It is nearly time for
that final roll call we
had come here to attend.
Hands are rising, slowly,
while we avert our eyes
and we grit our teeth, while
fists steal over trembling hearts
and sobs rattle in our chests,
with so many memories
racing through each and every
last fibre of our beings.
But our hands, they will stay
straight, with conviction, true.
The feet that brought us here
will remain firm on this ground
as we respond to our names.
And so, here is where we will stay.
This will be our answer,
to the question you did
not even bother to ask.
Yes, this is our answer.
Our final answer.
