Africa, begetter of Mankind,
we have betrayed and abandoned you
to exploitation, starvation and colonial blight.
We have raped and plundered you without heed
and now cry crocodile tears at the plight
of your skeletal children in their hour of need.
Africa, your parched terrain
is a grim reminder of the constant fight
to sustain life in the cycle of deprivation;
to tunnell blindly toward a better way
out of the ravages of hunger and desperation,
so your children might see a brighter day.
Africa, you are (or should be)
the world's conscience; a stain on the soul
of the complacent and well-fed nations.
We, in the West, have money and food to spare:
there should be no dithering or hesitations--
let us show our African Mother that we care!
A contest entry
- Crying africa by Abner.
300 points, ended September 3, 2007, 8 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
-
An excellently worded piece. 'Africa, you are (or should be) the world's conscience; a stain on the soul' very moving indeed. Good luck in the contest.
-
I Loved It!
I haven't seen too many writings referring to Africa as the "begetter of Mankind" - many refuse to even adknowledge that fact. Of course everything you said was true in a most poignant and defined way. The first line gets you and doesn't let go. That's the way it should be.
Adding your comment:
