They’re Kind Killers
By Mayyu Ali
A stream of blood gushes
From where my husband and son were killed.
I watched
My baby snatched from me,
Thrown into the bonfire
Reflected in my eyes.
He couldn’t even cry for full song,
Burnt to fuel in a minute.
At least I didn’t have to see the corpse like others did,
Nor did I have to bury them.
They’re kind killers.
Killers who enjoy the hunt.
One soldier asked for money and gold,
I gave him everything I owned, including my earrings
And then they raped me one after another.
The last one said:
I am not going to use my penis on you.
Instead, he used his knife.
They set me alight and left me for dead.
I find myself silent and bleeding.
The world is too brave to watch us being killed.
That’s Me, A Rohingya
By Mayyu Ali
When I was born,
I was not a baby like you are
Without a birth certificate,
Just like death
When I was one,
I was not a child like you are
Without a nation,
Just like a pet
When I was at school,
I was not a student like you are
Without a Burmese face,
Just like the bleakness of the future
When I was in another village,
I was not a resident like you are
Seeking approval overnight,
Just like a crazed detainee
31