svalbard global seed vault

i. they say we’re the safest
we’ve ever been in history.
but –
– let’s talk about the wars.
the deaths.

(can you see the
shadows crawl forward?)

ii. today, more children
will have learnt how to kill.
more girls who still can’t
count to ten
will have given birth

(the darkness, it burns
and soothes your pains away)

iii. ayyan has become a calling card
for a generation under attack
but
we still don’t know the names
of the hundreds of other children
welcomed by rán’s net

(dance in the darkness, sweetheart
it’s all that’s left for you anyway)

iv. today, syria opened a vault
that was meant to protect the world
in case of pandemics
or nuclear wars.
neither has come upon us
(yet)
and still, seeds of hope
have gone missing

(tell me,
do you see the blades yet?)

By Rishika Aggarwal

Biography:

Rishika Aggarwal is an aspiring poet from India, currently studying for her master’s degree in English Literature. She’s been reading for as long as she can remember, and dreaming of being a writer for about as long. You’ll be able to find her (and more of her work) at rishwrites.tumblr.com