i would not seek to ease hunger with religion,
with zealots pandering their beliefs, and
treading tribal soil to dust
in the name of their god
their nation and
their map;
no that makes one hungrier,
that seems to kill philosophy
for there is no-one listening
unless they are humble,
it is easy to feel humbled
if not awed by your spirit,
by your spirits.
Your doctors
even those with claws fingering entrails
for oracle
are more civilized
than those who sterilize
forcibly
women
who come to them for healing.
i can only seek to ease hunger with words
and i am a zealot
until i am there
living and sharing
more than just distant philosophies.
i see you,
your symbol,
on my street,
and its hard here too
if you're born on the wrong side
of somebody's ambition.
i cannot feed anyone
with anything but hope
which may reach across distances
whispering through the quieter airs.
My every decision
is the only gesture i have
which counts today
and maybe that would be enough
one day, for someone,
perhaps you.
i wish for you
that death be seen as a gift,
for it is.
i wish for you
the Elysium
the symbiosis
of traditional wisdoms
which should,
could have lasted,
perhaps has.
i wish for you
the poets of your culture
to be heard.
i wish for you
the colours of your people
to be seen
everywhere
for what they are,
beauty.
i wish for you
the dream of your land
to be ubiquitous,
of all the land
to be free.
A contest entry
- Crying africa by Abner.
300 points, ended September 3, 2007, 8 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Dreaming For Darfur....The End Is Near! by darkknight marellus.
1200 points, ended December 26, 2007, 18 entries
Honorable winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
-
Wow. I really like this. I like your flowing sense of beauty that you've instilled in your poem. To me, it sounds mellow, but not relaxed; slow, but not "oh, everythings fine, here's a token effort on my part". It feels slow and intense. Just what I wanted. I like how you didn't make this for one particular genocide or one specific people, but that this could be applied to all persecuted people in history. I especially like the stanza
i see you,
your symbol,
on my street,
and its hard here too
if you're born on the wrong side
of somebody's ambition.
i cannot feed you
with anything but hope
which may reach across distances
whispering through the quieter airs.
This reminded me of the Holocaust, where you'd see th gold stars littering the streets due to the struggles of the Jews. The Nazi propaganda. The boarded up shops and houses. This stanza really brought me back to a time like that.
I think this was overall just a beautiful write, and definitely worthy of being a finalist. I really liked the overall effect of being not so much a compressed poem, but compressed with so much emotion. You know? Maybe I'm not making sense, but I really did like this poem. Great job, and good luck!
Akasha
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Great thoughts for our continent.It's quite an irony that a continent so rich with resources, human and material - lags behind all.What is the cause? Of course greed amongst us and those coming from outside to plunder our God-given wealth. Someday, one day, it will surely be over.This is a dream we pray and wish to become reality.
-
thanks for entering the contest.
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