Death of Empathy

When empathy died

the soldiers could dance

in the streets they’d cracked

wearing the underwear of the women

whose homes they had destroyed.

And dance they did with pride.

When empathy was dead 

the soldiers could take children’s toys

from the rubble of their bombed homes

and repurpose them as tank trophies

mascots to be flaunted with pride

while the street cracked

under the weight.

When they had killed empathy 

the soldiers could shoot babies

in the head or gut - they chose,

and someone’s daughter 200 times, 

or 300 - they could choose.

And they filmed it with pride

from the street’s rubble and cracks.

When empathy was murdered

the soldiers could capture children

and imprison them in cages,

one metre square,

or whatever they chose

until they told them 

what they did not know

and then laugh with pride

in the smooth Israeli streets.

When empathy was dead and buried

deep down below the streets’ cracks

and only silence could be heard

Israel was supreme,

a supreme being, 

godlike in its power.

Human rights were dead,

humans would follow

any of them

even all 

would fall

through the streets of cracks

until the un-cracked power and pride

was cracked.

https://coldrambler.blogspot.com/2025/09/death-of-empathy-by-lynn-white.html