By Anoushka Tandon
Covered beneath the crusty earth,
I lie, blinded and surrounded by dirt,
Insignificant, I seem, don’t I?
But beware, the ground beneath your feet can lie.
I cry, I shout, I scream,
But alas, before my voice reaches your ears, your eyes have lost their gleam,
I watch you fall to the ground,
From your mouth, escapes not even a sound.
I can’t help it, can I? Because, this is my job,
Cause you pain and suffering while, all along, I sob,
But I couldn’t stop myself, nor could I stop you,
The moment you took that step, it would be your last, I knew.
But if you ever bothered to look beneath the cruel ground,
You’ll see me and my brothers for miles around.
Sitting still like deadly assassins, not making a sound,
Reluctantly knocking each of you down, for we will never be found.
You blame me, call me cruel, tell me I’m causing so much pain,
But try taking a walk down my memory lane, and you’ll see the regret I felt for all those I’ve slain,
Although you may not think I’m true,
I beg you, just try and hear, an assassin’s point of view.
Land mines are known to be the deadliest assassins, causing over seven thousand deaths each year in conflict zones. This poem is written from the perspective of a landmine, silently lying beneath the soil, murdering gullible, unsuspecting children. It narrates the regret and the guilt the landmine feels, as it witnesses helplessly life drain out of a child’s eyes.