Exceptional the tragic human cost of armed conflict A contemporary holocaust by Terry Reilly      Repetition Poem Contest Winner

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of violence.   A matriarch, bereft, weeps silent tears,   her mouth contains a sour and bitter taste.   She shivers, traumatised by piercing fears.   A holocaust lays helpless Gaza waste.       A doctor, trapped by rubble, waits to die.   His trust in fellow humans was misplaced.   He strains to catch a final glimpse of sky.   A holocaust lays helpless Gaza waste.       A hungry baby sucks a lifeless breast.   His future as an orphan must be faced.   Perhaps to die now would be for the best.   A holocaust lays helpless Gaza waste.       A crippled schoolgirl sprawls amid the dust,   her name by feeble fingers crudely traced.   Sad Layla's hopes and dreams have all been crushed.   A holocaust lays helpless Gaza waste.       Writing Prompt Write a poem where the same line is repeated at least three times in the poem. Repetition Poem Contest Winner Author Notes This is not a sectarian piece. It is about the human cost of armed conflict and could have been set in many different places and time frames, in all of which military might inflicts an horrendous toll on civilian non-combatants. I have several Israeli friends, not all of whom support their nation*s conduct in this particular theatre of war. The term *holocaust* (not capitalised, indefinite article) is used in its original sense and is intended to provoke reflective thought. I intended to write additional stanzas, but felt so emotional I had to let it be. Probably the antithesis of good poetry, but.

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