Fast Burial Requiem For Arrogant ...

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For far too long I have had buried my head,

Walked indistingushed among the crowds, and chose the trough

As opposed the open high ground

For fear of your mighty unbridle earthly power,

Only hoping one day you understand patience may pay off.

Instead I found myself trodden over and over, almost buried alive.

You architected to pin me down

And With the help of that rangy libertine

The vestal and pristine figure of mine

Got bloated and blotted

With unwanted poisonous fluid.

Then enough I said and I pick myself from the dust

Never again to trust the likes of you with a sharp dagger

On the back you could easily plunge and thrust.

And I told you this over and over again

But you were so self-centred to listen

And I showed you the scares of my daily labour

That have become second nature,

But you refused to discern.

I gave you invaluable services,

Be it domestic - washing dishes,

Feeding the babies - hungry mouths,

And marching to my death

For the cause you called national independence.

All these done, what did I get in return?

Although you know I am no different

But made of flesh and bone,

You hurled insults and I sustained.

You inflicted damages and I endured the pain,

Till such time no more.

I am furious burning in anger

All excuses would be lame,

Now it is your turn

To sustain own inflicted pain.

And no one is to blame.

And I keep wondering what your were thinking

When I was weeping!

Now how does it feel to be in my shoes,

Swallowing the bitter pills of truth?

That you are not what you claim to be

Invincible but above all a descent human being.

Copyright Haileselassie Girmay

29/2/99