Justice

Poem 853 – Just Ice?

/ BenDQ / Leave a comment

Just ice would be too sharp
Too cold upon the tongue
Bitterness needs sweetness
For us to get along

Firm punishment is fair
For them who break the rules
But for those who are oppressed
Justice is much more cool

It’s absolutely right that those who cheat or lie to obtain asylum and those who assist them for a profit should be punished and prevented, but I worry that stories like those in the news recently may hinder those who are vulnerable and need asylum, or affect how others see them unfairly.
(16.04.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Poem 112 – The Award Goes To…

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One cracks a joke
And in response
It gets slapped down

To rein us in
It used to be
Your eye for mine

But violence met
With more violence
Is twice the pain

A better way
Must surely be
To turn the cheek

This act of strength
Defies the bully
Without becoming one

Is violence the best response? An eye for an eye was only meant to stop us from escalating levels of revenge in the name of justice, but does it make things right? I’m not sure it does.
(29.03.22)

© Ben Quant 2022