For What? (Poem) by Annabel T Kassa

I wake up and am surprised by what I see around me,
Hatred, violence, inequality, injustice
And all for what?

Everyday is a bright, new day they say,
but it's just another day of us crawling through the darkness.
Stories of modern slavery- even racial abuse at live football matches,
Protest, after protest, after protest
And all for what?

People trying to cross into a new country for a new life,
Only to find that they were better off staying put.
Animals slaughtered and people murdered unnecessarily.
And all for what?

Rebellions breaking out-disrupting the whole country,
Yet still no one hears their voices.
We shout we want change- but they don't listen.
And all for what?

Governments struggle to broadcast people's tragic stories,
people die unexpectedly and to their extent,
And all for what?

In some parts of the world, you can't express who you are,
You are frowned upon and no one wants you,
You feel as if all your meaning is lost,
And all for what?

Some are rich- they have all they need,
And some are poor- they have nothing.
Yet all feel the same, but their problems differ.
And all for what?

Social media seems to have taken over us all,
Some lives and success are solely based on it,
But in the end, its just an escape because none of us truly feel that happy.
It's just a mask we wear on screen.
We're almost being controlled.
And all for what?

We try and cover up who we are,
In different ways, we all feel insecure.
We all crave company.

We shout at the tops of our lungs,
We express our suffering and inequality,
Yet everyday is just the same,
Another day where we all don't get what we deserve.
And all for what?

And so we ask for what?
For what do we all suffer?
For what do we all experience pain?
For what do we feel this way?
Why?

And for what?