They say that diamonds shine the brightest
When they come from Sierra Leone:
But the price is paid in innocent blood
And it drenches every stone.
They’re smuggled out like drugs
in belly, pouch or pack,
and behind them children cry,
for the things they can’t get back.
Machetes swung by rebels
Left thousands dead or maimed.
Only God knows the number
Of spirits that were claimed.
Women want their fingers,
Adorned with shiny things;
but a soul has died for each
and human hands are lost for rings.
Do diamonds really mean so much
When they’re haunted by the dead?
If faucets, reflected truly
then the stones; should be blood red.
Patricia Gibson-Williams
June 19, 2004
Author notes
Up to you! Your quote is by Kurt Cobain and is taken from his journals:
"Dispensable as recycled toilet tissue, they breed like rabbits and their hands will be sent back attatched to key chains."
Your four words are: mundance, drug, belly and soul.
I used soul and belly... I also used the plural "drugs" I assumed the forth was a typo and meant to be mundane, but there was no way I could use that in this poem.
I spent days trying to figure out what this quote meant and somehow I kept coming back to the hands of children and babies in Serria Leon (the rebles would chop them off) and how they might as well have been put on keychains for women to wear with their diamonds. But truthfully I don't blame the women, I blame companies like DeBeres that know when they buy the diamonds where they came from.
Written June 19th, 2004
In a list
A contest entry
- 1000 POINT CONTEST: Inspirations & Interpretations by Faded.
1000 points, ended June 23, 2004, 29 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
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A remarkable insightful poem filled with accusatory tones and sad tales. A truely wonderful take on your quote, I'm astounded that it managed to inspire a piece of work such as this.
Great flow and rhyme. I only noticed one error and that's where you use the word "faucet"... meaning tap. I think that you intended to use the word "Facet".. meaning the side of a cut gem.
I loved this poem for its originality, heartache and for the depth which you poured into it, including cultural and societal depths. This was so much mroe than just a poem.
I hope thta you enjoyed rising to the challenge that I set for you!
~Faded -
This poem tells a very powerful story and message in a tactful way which shows your talent. The though of what happens in Sierra Leone is sickening but you managed to provoke that emotion in people without being too descriptive which would disgust most people. A very powerful tactfully written piece. Well done, take care, and good luck, Heather x
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A very powerful piece. I read an essay once called "The Underside of DeBeers Diamonds" in a book by Disinformation Press called "Abuse Your Illusions"... very enlightening to see how much people across the world, especially in Africa, suffer for our shameless exploitation and material excess. Keep up the excellent work! I didn't like this just for the good politics... it was a dern fine poem, too
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Wow, i love this! Especially:
'Women want their fingers,
Adorned with shiny things;
but a soul has died for each
and human hands are lost for rings'. That stanza made me really think about the whole idea of what happens in Sierra Leone. PK
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