Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Poetry 2017 | Page 157
They Know
Harrow International School Hong Kong, Gao, Pernille - 14
Shielding her face from passing strangers
Hiding her name, crouching low.
Disguising her faith and language
They know, they know.
The slip of a tongue, the whisper of a vowel
the spatter of a word in a language so despised
A glare and a glance, mutters in a crowd
They know, they know.
Shame filled the air, clinging to her skin
Fear and hatred ringing in her mind.
The Japanese girl in Shanghai will die
They know, they know.
A hand cupped her mouth and darkness came
Needles of pain stung her back,
A face appeared then a nozzle of a gun
They know, they know.
A body lay on the floor, a pale, young face
Sprawled in a circle of blood
They know, they know.