Not In Vain (A Poem For Africa)

I Will Not Let Be In Vain 

(A poem for Africa)

I will not let all this be in vain

The prehistory, discoveries made in my past

The history, courses of proverbial rivers changed in my past

The present, the gift still unwrapped, yet to be revealed by the changing times

The hope for the future whose existence and potential lies only within my power

The scars of past wars with victory tales to tell

The fallen fighters from whose unmarked graves have sprang landmarks

Sweet songs of praise for those that have fought for me, and even though some died,

The reason for which they died immortally lives

The sweet songs for comfort when all we did, and rightly so was to

Look deep within and translate all the pain and strain to sweet melodies

That even civilization could not put on key, musical notation or any of that staff

I will not let be in vain

The tears cried by my mother on cold nights when she had to miss meals saying,

“I am good my son, I do not have the appetite…”

Only so that we could eat the little that there was

The proud smile on her face when I learnt how to read

The joy when I brought home my first hard-earned shilling

I will not let be in vain my blood that still flows in me yet my own shed blood at the hands of

Those that learnt selfishness came and took what we owned, made us fight for it then called us colonized

How dare you call me names yet I have my own

I will not respond to your summons

I will not pose for your portrayals

I am Africa. Do you even know what that means?

                                                                                         Benjamin Sulle