8 Billion Faces
written by: Yll Brahimi
8 billion souls,
I wonder whose is brighter.
8 billion characters,
I wonder whose is nicer.
They all have a story.
They all have a dream.
They all laugh and cry.
They all whisper and scream.
16 billion ears,
I wonder what they’ve heard.
8 billion mouths,
I wonder who they’ve hurt.
16 billion eyes
Have seen terror, flowers, and butterflies.
16 billion ears
Have heard music, gunshots, or lies.
Like:
“Be humble,”
“Be perfect,”
“Be precise.”
I have been loved.
I’ve been hated.
I’ve been betrayed.
I fell down.
When I got up,
I wasn’t the same.
I felt lost.
I felt found.
I felt tired.
Chin up—one step down,
Three steps higher.
I’m just a number,
A warm body,
Nothing more.
Just like you, the higher I aim,
The lower I score.
8 billion people can be a blessing
Or a curse.
The sky is the start,
The limit is the universe.
- 8 Billion Faces - March 23, 2025