The Middle East

The Middle East's in such a mess
With millions living in distress;
The region is at present rent
With wars, uprisings and dissent.
All of which have one result
Whichever grouping is at fault.
Many people have to flee
For it is plain for all to see
Minorities have little hope
Knowing that they cannot cope
With all the persecution aimed
At them by people who're inflamed
With deadly hatred, and are bent
On killing all who might dissent
From their own view of faith and life,
And murders are extremely rife.

The problem may have started when
The land was carved up yet again,
With straight lines drawn across the map,
So faiths and peoples overlap.
Most countries have a varied mix
Which now'd be very hard to fix
Of different cultures, faiths and lives
In nations where each large group strives
To take control and be in power,
So their group only then can flower.

When weapons were in short supply,
Not many people dared to try
To oust the government by force -
Rebellion would be stopped at source.
But now the area is awash
With arms, so it is hard to squash
Planned rebellions as before,
So everywhere there's civil war.

The outcome of  this awful strife
Is not just major loss of life,
But whole societies breaking down,
With battles fought in every town.
Their homes destroyed, their income gone,
So many people must move on
And find a place which them can give
Somewhere they again can live
And build their lives, away from all
The hatred which engulfed them all.