A pain too close to home

(A shorter version of this poem is published in “Picking Off New Shoots Will Not Stop the Spring” beside many powerful poems and essays to express the outrage, grief, pain and a strong desire for change in Myanmar against the oppressive military regime. Many thanks to editors Ko Ko Thett and Brain Haman.)

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash

You have walked a long way, across historical upheaval and emotional downturn, with a soul too innocent to hate in a…