This poem is based on a real-life accident, called the Sewol Ferry Tragedy.

In 2014, high school students were traveling to Jeju Island, South Korea. Their ship sank, 250 out of 325 students on board died.

In one of the live videos from inside the sinking ferry, a student did on-the-spot poetry, so I thought to complete his poem. Most of the lines in this poem are translations of words directly said by that person and from conversations he had with his friends. I arranged their words into a poem. Rest in peace.

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They are sailing this ship

But it's tilted at 85

I have a lot of things to do

I still hope to survive

They say that the rescue

will come in a while

But if we need to be rescued

Does it mean we can die?

The life vest is a savior

But it was made in 1994

One has a broken chain

Other is too tight on waist

I can hear the helicopter

The rescue at last

But there isn't enough time

For 300 down the mast

It feels like the Titanic

Should I sing the title song?

Call me a man without gravity

Cause all the angles feel wrong

We are still laughing

And playing mobile games

We'll be texting our parents

Till the end of our names

Why did I board

This cursed Sewol ship

My sister, I am telling you

Never go on a school trip

We used to fight a lot

But still thank you

And sorry to my brother

I am going without seeing you

I think you can hear this

The sound of splashing water

The footsteps of the ocean

Leaking into our room

And cold is this water

But my head is at 100 (deg C)

Cause the captain ran away

And left us for the dead

Captain, I die because of you

You did nothing

All my silver dreams should

Haunt you forever

Today I make this video

But what can I do

About the Japanese animations

That I left incomplete

And to all those I know

I am sorry if I ever said wrong

And I love you a lot

My parents and friends at home

I don't know what will happen

I don't know where we'll go

But me and my friends

We'll do it together

You know, looking back

I've never done anything bad

And I'm not sure if I'll make it out

But let's all meet outside

They were told to

stay still and not move

But only those survived

who didn't follow the rules

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Some information on Sewol Ferry Tragedy.

This is South Korea's worst maritime disaster. On 16/04/2014, a ship en route from Incheon to Jeju Island sank. Out of 476 passengers and crew, 304 died in the disaster, including around 250 students from Danwon High School.

The captain and the crew basically saved themselves and left the children and other passengers. They were told to stay still and not move around and wait for instructions. But help came very late, they all died.

Of the approximately 172 survivors, more than half were rescued by fishing boats and other commercial vessels that arrived at the scene approximately forty minutes before the Korean Coast Guard.

The ship sank bcz of overweight cargo and illegal adjustments to ship design. Not only the government not provide help, they even tried to downplay the whole incident to save their reputation. The captain and the crew were all punished along with the falling out of the then government and jail to the President. All those people died bcz of greed and corruption.

And it's 21st century, the passengers recorded videos and called their parents while the ship was sinking. They laughed and joked till the end, knowing they might die but had so much hope that they would survive.

Their parents could see the ship sinking on news. I feel like this is the saddest truth, the world saw them but the world didn't save them. When the bodies were found, many had their hands entwined with each other. They stayed together till the end.

The yellow ribbon movement was created in their memory and to seek justice.

I hope they all are resting in peace... I'm not sure if I believe in rebirths, but I hope that all the lost souls will find a new dawn.

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