HART Prize for Human Rights 2019| Quicksand

This year we received a record number of entries from a diverse range of countries, resulting in our toughest competition yet! We were truly impressed by the quality, creativity, and passion for Human Rights demonstrated by our participants, and toughly enjoyed all the submissions we received.

Yudeesha Sen won the joint 1st place in our HART Prize for Human Rights Junior Creative Competition 2019 with their song entry titled:

Quicksand

Lyrics:

Waiting for life to pass me by,

Hoping that time will heal all the scars across my mind.

I hear sirens in the distance, feel the ground shake again,

And for the thousandth time imagine what my life was like back then…

Wonder what I did to deserve all this pain,

Wonder why the rain and my tears can’t wash this blood away.

I’m walking a line there are cracks in the sky over my head,

I’m walking along to the beat of a drum – it grows weaker with every step

’Cause my mother’s gone, sister too,

Don’t know where my dad is, but I hope he made it through.

And my brother went to join the fight, I don’t think he’ll make it out alive.

I’ve lost so many friends along the way, I see all their faces burn into everyday stained in the back of mind, memories of those I left behind.

Although, it’s been a while now, I still remember

Those nights in late November

As autumn faded away and winter came to stay we would sit and talk for hours

I didn’t know what would happen ’til I was left alone.

But I still wonder what I did to deserve all this pain

Wonder why all the chaos I see won’t delete itself from my brain

I’m walking a line, there are cracks in the sky right  over my head

I’m stumbling along don’t know where I went wrong , can’t help thinking this might be the end.

Cause my mother’s gone, sister too ,

Don’t know where my dad is, but I pray he made it through.

And my brother went to join the fight, I don’t think he’ll make it out alive.

I’ve lost so many friends along the way, I see all their faces burned into everyday stained at the back of mind, it’s all I see when I close my eyes.

Cause when you’ve lost everything.

And your life’s on the brink

You need a helping hand need someone to find fast you and pull you out of the quicksand

They say we’re born to run

Born to live our days under the sun

But now we run so we won’t die , but we are running with no place to hide.

Cause my mother’s gone and my sister too

Deep down I know that my dad didn’t make it through.

My brother, he is still out there

But I won’t see him alive again I swear.

My friends and my home they’re just memories

Reminders of a distant life so it seems.

So I’m down on my knees,

Begging with tear stained cheeks and gritted teeth –

I’m just a lost boy will you come and save me please?