January 25, 2011

Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika*

elderlings with telescopic spectacles
toddlings still fumbling with sagging breasts
whose milk had long since been swallowed up by the Sahara

zombied towards a mystic call
to rid themselves of the Mule-barking wolf
a parasite that had sat in their throats since their eyes opened

and had made speech impossible
that they could not pronounce their own names
becoming unknown to themselves and to posterity

and when the Mule barked for his men
to scissor the umbilical cords of the toddlings
before their birth; before their first draught of air

and the elderlings before their death; before their last draught of air
when the Mule-barking wolf sent his armour vehicles
armed with incontestable death warrants

and a warning to challenge the Nile
in length and strength with Miles
of blood

and to redden the Red Sea;
when the Mule-barker
did these and more

the elderlings faced these armoured men
with schizophrenic excitement
and curlicued walking sticks

and the toddlings faced them with their two front teeth;
all waving flags with unwavering strength
while singing:

Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika

*means: God bless Africa

This is still a work in progress. I want to share it with you so we could show our support to the Egyptians. Every country needs to rule itself and no country needs to be dictated to especially by another country. No country should be oppressed for the peace of another country. No one should be maligned because it helps others elsewhere. Such policies must change. We all need to recognise that our individual freedom is paramount. It is not right when a country that waves the banner of democracy imposes an autocratic leader on another country. It is not just hypocrisy, it is EVIL. 

Comments

  1. You are right, very hypocritical isn't it. Love the poem, I hope you share the finished copy as well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You write some brilliant poems...this is an interesting one.

    ReplyDelete

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