by erick ochieng otieno
Published on: May 30, 2007
Topic:
Type: Poetry

Today I am here
Tomorrow I am there
Trying so hard
To see the sense
Of it all

I try my level best
To tell my friends
That all is well
I try to tell my friends
That I am okay

But deep within my soul
I keep on
Asking myself
The self answering question
What happened?

I tend to know
What really happened
But it seems to me
Like ages and eons
I try to figure when it happened

Then something strikes me
It was yesterday
I was going to school
I was going to the shop
Was going to see my mom
Yes, going to see my teacher
With a problem I had
With my assignments

Then there it was
A blast
A huge loud bang
Next to me
What was it?
I did not know
I did not imagine

Then it happened
I saw blood
I saw flesh
I saw white brain matter
I saw…
How do I put it?
It was so scary
I could not sleep
I could not eat
I had never thought
It could happen
Next to me
I then thought
Of my schoolmates
Of my class mates
Of my friend
Of my father
Of my mother
Of my brother
Of my sister
Of my cousin
The list is long
And you will have
To forgive me
If I don’t finish

They were gone
Gone in a second
In a flash
Everything
Was shattered
My dreams
Of a happy family
My dreams
Of finishing school
My dreams
Of a happy life
My dreams
My dreams…

When will it end?
I keep on asking myself
When will peace come?
It is an innocent question
Is there anybody to answer me?
Why am I left alone?
Why, why, why…

Where is the peace
Where is the white dove?
The creature of peace?
I am crying
Others are crying
It is said that 2000 soldiers
Have been killed
And that is a great loss
I have lost thousands of people
Who were around me
That is a collateral damage
And it is not news
Who will highlight
My plight
Who will tell the world?
Of my sorrows
Who will tell the world?
Of my sufferings

When I can not go to school
When I ca not eat
When I have to fetch for my clothing
When I have to take care
Of my siblings
At a tender age
I am a father
I am a mother
Because someone
Felt that
They were fighting
For my rights
Is it my rights?
Really?
I would like an answer
Please answer me

I need some consolation
Come
Let us sing together
Let us bring peace
It is only
You and me
We have tried
To let them bring peace
But we have got
sorrows
And sufferings
Woes of the loved ones
We should be children of peace
Let us foster peace
let us plant the first seedling
For the sake of peace
And as the peace tree grow
We shall know
That we are making headways
To the promised land
And let us come together
For it is only us
And only us
And no one else
For it is a cry
Of a crying child

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