where children starve amidst food,
people die evil deaths without cause,
war wipes out entire communities and commodities
and causes panic inside our intestines--
leading to miscarriages that discourage
our courage?
Why we,
they say, our soils are fertile,
our land is the richest without reach,
yet we languish in biting poverty,
sickening solitude of absolute hunger,
as if there is no one to help?
Our life span is below God's promise,
our culture is decaying beyond rotting.
What have we done to deserve this?
Why we,
who were the beloved of the world,
whose culture stood firm like the Muvule tree,
whose children saw no sickness and agony,
us that bore the courage of giants--now
we are marked with fear and fright to flight
from our own father's land?
We, whose beauty was bound to no bolting
but brood beyond horizons--now
opt for imported beautification.
Us, who believed in love and unity,
now tear each other like tigers.
Why we,
who cherished chastity and honesty,
but now believe in immorality and betrayal?
Tell me brother--who triggered us to this
treacherous, treasonous life,
punctuated by misery, pain, hunger,
death, deprivation, despair, disillusionment,
and degradation from our captors?
Who should we blame for this?
The gods, the invader, the era, or ourselves?
Who will help us?
Picture, Wars in Africa, by aminhilal
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