I carry weight no one can see,
A heavy load inside of me.
No hands to hold, no voice to share,
Just silent screams and endless care.
I built these chains with my own hands,
I walked alone through shifting sands.
The world expects, it takes, it steals,
But never stops to know what heals.
I bear the storm, I fight, I fall,
I stand again, despite it all.
The burden's mine, my cross, my flame,
I am the spark that fuels my pain.
~Fizza Bukhari
Thirty years ago, my life fell apart/
I became fallen and forgotten/
All my friends abandoned me/
For years, those tears poured/
All those tears formed an ocean/
For a crime I never committed/
For all I lost in life/
My religion is different/
I face religious hatred for years/
My faith is unwavering/
My heart is unwavering/
I face so much hate in my life/
I done nothing wrong to justify/
The ostrasim, treated like garbage/
People put on a mask to play games/
They play with my heart, my feelings/
They can't be themselves/
They have to judge, they have to hate/
What happened to my life/
Is unheard of/
But understand this.../
I know my worth and.../
I am a survivor/
I will not give up/
I will keep surviving/
Because, I am strong/
And I am a strong survivor/
(C) Michael Fulkerson 2025
Poetry is my voice
and your being
is my everyday inspiration.
In you, I felt
the Unseen.
Nothing, not even
my awards,
can match the great happiness
you brought into my life.
You’ll always be in my heart.
--
A tribute to poet Ernilando Tugaff
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