Melanie Antanesian

101

For 101 years, my country has suffered through a great injustice
Boiling blood and broken hearts spill onto the streets every 24th of April
No matter how hard the Turkish government tries to silence us
From rallying, protesting, and crying out about the century long betrayal
No amount of propaganda will ameliorate the heartache
And no amount of repudiation will ever make us forsake
“Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”
For 101 years, grandchildren have been told the hells of genocide
A systematic and brutal slaughter of an entire nation
My people were outnumbered by a landslide
The death marches, the abduction, the rapes — degradation
One hundred years later, and we still clutch onto our Armenian pride
1.5 million souls were lost between 1915 and 1918; an abomination
Our country was divided and our people were scattered
Bodies bruised and battered, hope dangerously close to being shattered
“Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”
For 101 years, we have fought for our rightful recognition
And we have been denied year after year
Until we hear that bittersweet, longed for admission
The fight in us will always be something to fear
We are still here, and our wounds are still open- our youth will forever chant loud
1915, we will never forget- our youth will forever be proud
“Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”

© Copyright 2016 Melanie Antanesian

Melanie Antanesian is a student at Montgomery College in Maryland.