The Siren’s Call

In a departure from the usual style of our posts, we bring you a poem by Roger Chao on the lure of false promises in politics. Roger is a writer based in Victoria, Australia, who strives to use his writing to engage audiences to think critically about the role they can play in making a difference. He was inspired to write this poem by current international events, and politics here and overseas being shaped by forces whipping up and capitalising on fear of change.

When twilight cloaks the city’s restless streets,

And fear whispers through the cracks in our resolve,

A siren’s call, like venom, softly seeps,

Luring hearts towards shadows that evolve.

When storms of change rage fierce and unrestrained,

And the unknown stretches vast and deep,

The weary heart, in search of what’s maintained,

Turns to the siren’s call, forlorn and weak.

They speak of walls, of purity and pride,

Of turning back the clock to ‘better’ days,

Yet every brick laid hides what’s inside,

A poison that corrupts, a moral haze.

In the cacophony of anxious minds,

These voices find a home, a place to grow,

Preying on the lost, the scared, the blind,

With twisted truths that many come to know.

“Come,” they urge, “embrace the old ways strong,

Shield yourselves from change and all that’s new”

But this retreat is where we all go wrong,

Trading progress for a tainted view.

The sirens whisper of a world long past,

Of times when ignorance held sway with ease,

But we, enlightened, know that such won’t last,

For knowledge, once ignited, won’t appease.

In their fortress built on fear and spite,

We imprison not the other, but our soul,

Abandoning the spectrum of life’s light,

For a world that’s stunted, broken, cold.

Remember history’s dark and twisted paths,

Where hatred’s seed took root and spread its blight,

When promises of greatness hid the wrath,

And led us all into the endless night.

So when the night is darkest, and fear takes hold,

Do not be swayed by the siren’s song,

Stand firm, be brave, let your heart be bold,

For in unity and love, we belong.

The siren’s song is danger cloaked in peace,

A promise of security that fades,

For every whisper hides a dark caprice,

Every touch of comfort slowly degrades.

Thus, let the siren’s song be but a call,

To vigilance, to steadfastness in truth,

For in our hearts, we hold the strength of all,

To weave a world where justice guides our youth.