Chords From a Restless World

Chords From a Restless World

Verse 1 — Navalny

In the cold beyond the fence line, a name they tried to still, A rare and bitter whisper from a rainforest kill. A coalition said the labs all spoke the same hard word, Means and motive in the shadows where the steel doors whirred. His widow stood in Munich, thunder in her breath, Called it what it sounded like—a weapon dressed as death. They’re taking it to watchdogs meant to guard the dawn, While denials rise like smoke, and drift, and then are gone.

Sources:

• 5 European nations say Alexei Navalny was poisoned and blame the Kremlin
• Alexey Navalny: Russian opposition figure killed by toxin found in poison dart frogs
• Russia poisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny with dart frog toxin
• Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by deadly 'dart frog' toxin

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Chorus

Hold on, world, to the fragile thread, Truth is bruised but not yet dead. When the night leans in and the headlines roar, Raise your voice till we reach the shore. If the ground gives way beneath our feet, We’ll keep time with a stubborn beat— Hold on, world, let the heart decide, Through the flood and the fire, we ride.

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Verse 2 — DHS Shutdown

At the stroke of sleepless hours, the lock slid into place, Not for walls or weary gates, but paychecks and their grace. An argument on borders born of lives cut short, Demands for cams and open faces, warrants from the court. Some keep working without wages, duty in their hands, While travelers and storm lines learn the cost of tangled plans. The chamber lights lie empty; calendars drift on, And a vast, unpaid procession keeps the engines on.

Sources:

• What to know on the DHS government shutdown
• 5 things to know about the shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security
• DHS shutdown begins as funding expires without a deal in Congress
• A partial government shutdown is about to hit DHS

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Verse 3 — Washington Post Layoffs

In a newsroom built of thunder, someone dimmed the sky, Shelved the games and all the pages where the books could fly. Foreign windows shuttered, Metro’s voice run thin, And the captain left the wheelhouse right after the din. A legend called it darkest, the union named it wrong, Said the richest chose to falter where they should be strong. Ever since an axed endorsement split the faithful sea, The clicks grew quiet, doors swung shut where truth should be.

Sources:

• Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post conducts widespread layoffs
• Washington Post lays off one-third of its newsroom
• Bezos orders layoffs at 'Washington Post'
• Days after big layoffs at The Washington Post, publisher Will Lewis says he's stepping down

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Chorus

Hold on, world, to the fragile thread, Truth is bruised but not yet dead. When the night leans in and the headlines roar, Raise your voice till we reach the shore. If the ground gives way beneath our feet, We’ll keep time with a stubborn beat— Hold on, world, let the heart decide, Through the flood and the fire, we ride.

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Verse 4 — Bangladesh Election

On the streets that once were shouting, now the ballots sing, A party swept back over lands that lost their king. A leader home from exile steps toward the chair, A faithful ally rises higher than it ever dared. The winner speaks of unity, of stitching what was torn, While neighbors tip their hats to greet a brighter morn. They blessed a rule to limit crowns, to break the iron mold, And students taste the promise that their courage bought and sold.

Sources:

• Bangladesh election results 2026: Who won, who lost, what's next?
• Bangladesh PM-in-waiting Rahman appeals for unity as BNP sweeps polls
• A historic election in Bangladesh brings BNP to power
• 2026 Bangladeshi general election - Wikipedia

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Verse 5 — Munich Security Conference

In Munich, winter gathered armor, handshakes, restless minds, From war-scarred maps to wired dreams, the future’s tangled lines. A president from embattled fields made the case for light, Transatlantic echoes tuning keys for what is right. Out in streets, a record chorus beat against the cold, And truths about a fallen man were timed and told. Between the panels and the protests, one refrain was heard: Safety is a fragile song that needs a living word.

Sources:

• Munich Security Conference 2026
• 62nd Munich Security Conference - Wikipedia
• Updates: World leaders gather in Munich for 2nd day of security conference

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Verse 6 — SpaceX Crew-12

Then a spark cut through the doubt and found a waiting dawn, A ship of four rose steady, and the night was gone. They docked where Earth keeps vigil, where the blue turns black, Where skeleton crews were counting every breath and back. Meir and Hathaway, Adenot, Fedyaev too, Carrying quiet medicines and futures to renew. For moons we haven’t walked yet, for red dust still to rise, They set the lab lights burning in the silence of the skies.

Sources:

• SpaceX, NASA launch new ISS crew to end a month of skeleton staffing
• On their way! 4 people on NASA Crew-12 mission launch to International Space Station
• Watch the NASA SpaceX Crew-12 mission dock with the ISS
• SpaceX launches Crew-12 mission to International Space Station

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Final Chorus — Exciting Ending

Hold on, world, the engines cry, From the prison gates to the star-bright sky. When the ink runs thin and the borders fray, Let the ballots, boots, and rockets say: We are more than what we fear, More than headlines, more than tears. Count it down—hearts ignite— Three, two—no, sing—into the light! Hold on, world—make the darkness yield— Raise your voice, and be the field.