Lay Aside Hatred on the Hill
written by: Charlie Bottle
@CharlieBottle
Lay aside hatred on the hill,
where in the groves of poplar trees
lie bleached bones of those they killed,
folks, fleeing tribal killing sprees.
Lay aside hatred of vile words,
that slagged our humanity,
made good family men, bastards,
and led them into insanity.
Discard hatred, plant love instead,
many pray each day on their knees,
for morsels of kind mercy’s bread,
let love flow free to hearts like breeze.
Lay down hatred, let souls capture
the smiles that rise from joyous hearts,
let them with you sing in rapture,
“Love!” we will never be apart.
Lay aside man-made divisions,
by those lusting for hell’s power,
building walls of bleak future visions,
with which they seek to seize the hour.
Let the oppressor and oppressed,
reconcile hatred and sorrow,
let each other in love bless,
live in peace and love, today and tomorrow.
From the effluvium of hate,
let brotherly love bloom and grow,
bigotry, hatred, and death isn’t mankind’s fate
mankind learns from forgiveness shown.
Forgive those who in churches killed
all who sought sanctuary there,
where refugees trusted God’s will
Forgive! God’s mercy’s free as air.
Make these witnesses of my world
let them with digital glass eyes capture
“World! see from sorrow, joy unfurl,
let their smiles your souls enrapture.”
Plant love, mercy, and compassion
in the heart of the young and tend,
in their hearts grow caring passion,
to God’s loving will so all hatred ends.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
April marks the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, in which upwards of 800,000 people were killed in 100 days, leaving 95,000 children orphaned. The massacre wiped out 75 percent of the Tutsis ethnic group.
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