ninehillsRAMBLE in the JUNGLE
An Artistic Blur
By Wanaku Verdzekov · · Global
Tags: poem, violence, peace
Yesterday, I heard on the air,
Men with guns causing fear and despair.
Pointing and shooting at those who should thrive,
While women and children just struggle to survive.
Gunshots echo, and smoke fills the sky,
Tears of the innocent mingle with cries.
Many brodas and sistas, now cold on the ground,
As burning and looting spread chaos around.
For a moment, we lose what it means to be free,
In a world where violence distorts what we see.
Life becomes blurry, a tragic refrain,
A canvas of anguish, of sorrow, and pain.
Let's choose a path where peace lights the way,
Where love can blossom, and hope can stay.
For in harmony's glow, life's colours are bright,
And joy paints the picture, restoring our sight.
For a moment
the concept of life and living
is an artistic blur.
For a moment…
un flou artistique.
— Wanaku Verdzekov
Reading & grammar
Reading level: Gr 7–9
Understand
- Where does the speaker hear the news described in the first stanza?
- Which images show the effect of violence on ordinary people?
- What does un flou artistique mean, and why does the poem end in French?
Grammar focus: rhyming couplets. Most stanzas rhyme in pairs (AABB): "air / despair", "thrive / survive". Couplets give the poem a steady, song-like beat, which contrasts with its violent subject.
Try it: Mark the rhyme scheme of stanzas 2 and 4. Then write your own rhyming couplet about hearing bad news.
Discuss: Why might a poet write about violence in a gentle, rhyming form? Does the contrast make the poem stronger or weaker?