spoken word poet & writer
Sparks Through Arts: Igniting L.o.v.e Within
Buddhist monk in Preah Vihear ancient temple ruins, a famous landmark in north Cambodia. ID 10505136
LOVE HAS NO BORDERS
Sophea Heang, July 2025
A thousand shots fired
still peace lives on…
it is a voice that breathes
in you and me
there's a river
inside love
it's alive sees
past us all and itself
children of
Kampuchea we see you
we hear you.
you are hurting from
wounds that were
not visible until now
the mouth of the river
kisses your scars
taking you back
home
your tears drip into
a clear stream that sees
the past like these rocks
big and small
brown white
grey holding up a mirror
so you can finally
see yourself again
translucent baby's skin just
nine days- old when mother
ran with baby from home
to live in a blue tent
with thousands
of other refugees
looking up to a pale clear sky
palms pressed together sitting
on the wings of these two white
doves we commemorated the 50th year
anniversary of the Cambodian
genocide that took away our elders
so much of our precious history
heritage and culture
never again!
We see you
your faces will also
be sculpted by the fingers
of Kampuchea
Who wins in wars
that rip children from
the arms of their mothers'
forever?
where Phnom Dangrek
touches Ursa Major
down to the
anvil of earth where
these roots keep us together
don't be afraid!
it doesn't matter if you were
born on Khmer soil or
in a new land
you were a baby born
under these stars
that fuel human breath
no forces of
it's okay if your heart is
breaking and you're trying to find
the words to explain
the hurt and the pain
No! No! No more wars! Your words still reverberate in fire
smoke that blast through human flesh
it takes their
very last breath
the ghosts of war wander
hover over these
memories
Go to where peace is
buried
walk through the shadows of
conflict
Go inside yourself.
sit beneath those clouds that form
on top of Phnom Dangrek where
peace lives
below and above the boundaries
of war zones that
tear men women and children from
their villages
You are seen with eyes
that cleanse the lies.
Sophea Heang's works copyright © to the author.
welcome
sourm ska vomស្កាវំSophea Heang is a second-generation Cambodian-Canadian spoken word poet and writer based in Vancouver. Sophea
enjoys collaborating with
other artists such as musicians and visual artists. She’s also co-founder of Angkor Harvest, a Cambodian food purveyor serving the hallmarks of authentic Cambodian cuisine.
Sophea loves walking barefoot at the river and being close to trees.