There is so much you wish to say
and yet silence envelopes you
while those who spoke are led away

and you feel a moment’s dismay
at what you were forced to do.
There is so much you wish to say

Gods and men you would inveigh
but it was not your lot they drew
while those who spoke are led away

When you are asked why you betray
them all to keep the life you knew
there is so much you wish to say

you quietly swallow your dismay
for now they do not come for you
while those who spoke are led away.

But there will be a judgment day
you will get your quisling’s due
there is so much you wish to say
while those who spoke are led away.

First published in Rising Action Review, November 2023
https://www.risingactionreview.com/post/unsaid