The world smells of ashes Of sirens and smoke Of children growing older Before they should know How silence can tremble How hatred can grow How whole cities fall apart While cold leaders glow The night keeps speaking In the language of fear Yet a small human heartbeat Whispers: “I am here.” Don’t turn to stone Even when darkness calls Hold on to the fire Guard tenderness like a flame Every soul that dares to feel Defies the fear inside And carries traces of light Through the night The centuries wander In uniforms and crowns Changing only faces While the same old violence sounds Through banners and speeches Through borders and blame The powerless keep bleeding For somebody else’s name But somewhere in the ruins Two trembling hands still meet And mercy walks barefoot Through shattered streets Don’t turn to stone Even when darkness calls Hold on to the fire Guard tenderness like a flame Every soul that dares to feel Defies the fear inside And carries traces of light Through the night Keeping hope safe and sound With steady feet on the ground In the broken staying gentle In the wounded choosing love Maybe history remembers wars Names carved in steel and stone But heaven remembers kindness The hands that would not let go And when the night grows heavy And the world forgets your name May your heart go on protecting A never-dying flame Don’t turn to stone Though the world is tired and afraid Be the fragile light That hatred could not take Every heart that beats with love Beneath the weight of time Carries traces of light Through the night
