Review of: "The Black Silence of Forgotten Men: No One Is Here"

Four thousand men in a prison And there might as well be no one here.

Black like the vastness of space.

Black like an endless void of nothingness.

But unlike the sky There are no stars of planets As reference points.

Black as lost.

Black as to not say that we vanished Because it would acknowledge Our existence.

Black solemn faces

Dejected without stories

Without inquiries about us.

Just Black as nobody even knows to care about you.

© MARIE J. MOND *****

Marie J. Mond's poem "No One Is Here" is a haunting meditation on the erasure of identity and the suffocating invisibility of prisoners in Haitian jails. Written in stark free verse, the poem evokes the overwhelming blackness of confinement - not just the absence of light, but of recognition, dignity, and humanity. The repetition of "Black" becomes a visceral symbol, shifting from a physical absence to a metaphysical commentary on being unseen, uncared for, and ultimately, unknown.

The poem's most powerful lines - "Black as to not say that we vanished / Because it would acknowledge / Our existence" - captures the existential pain of systemic neglect. Marie strips away all embellishments, leaving raw, the silent cry of thousands rendered invisible by institutional violence. The imagery, devoid of stars or reference points, mirrors a prison system adrift from moral compass.

Rooted in real-world atrocities, the poem draws inspiration from the current conditions in Haitian prisons, where thousands are held without trial and basic human rights are routinely violated. Submitted to The Sun Magazine and published in All Poetry, the piece stands as both a literary and political act - bearing witness to suffering and demanding that the world acknowledges those who are kept in darkness.

Marie's poetic voice is uncompromising. With minimalist structure and maximum emotional impact, "No One Is Here" offers a necessary and unflinching portrait of injustice that resonates far beyond Haiti.

© Reviewed by Abu Forhad Poet and Critic Bangladesh