Poem of the week, from
Poetry International Web, is written by
Cosmas Mairosi a Zimbabwean.The latest news from Zimbabwe could easily create a sense of pathos when reading the poem.
The News...
Zimbabwe's main opposition said President Robert Mugabe's government was escalating a violent crackdown against its members, but said it would not walk away from talks with the ruling party.
Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), told journalists the opposition was worried by increased cases of violence against its supporters...
...
The Poem, which I can't help but sharing here...
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
the lord is my shepherd
I shall not want any other leader besides him
(even from his own party)
I shall have no other political party besides his
I shall not suffer any domination by the British or
the Americans
and my country shall never be a colony again
the lord is my shepherd
even if I walk in the valley of freedom
I am forced to attend his rallies
I shall not say what I want
because the police and the military will descend
on me
even if I walk in the shadow of poverty
I shall continually shout his name and sing his
praises
“long live my leader”
the lord is my shepherd
I shall not associate with members of the opposition
I shall not walk with demonstrators
for should I be found out
I shall be beaten or tortured
I shall have no other TV stations besides his
I shall see what he wants me to see
I shall hear what he wants me to hear
I shall read what he wants me to read
the lord is indeed my shepherd
I shall not starve
for I shall certainly be given food handouts
to vote for him
and other people’s land for free
squatting
but now the lord is not my shepherd
I have suffered many setbacks
my business operations have been closed my bank accounts frozen
my house has been demolished
my land has been confiscated
and unto me a new law hath been given:
“thou shalt praise the lordship in all his follies”.
© 2007, Cosmas Mairosi
2 comments:
POETRY IS POWER
I resonate with sentiments that are echoed in Cosmas Mairos poetry.Poetry remains a powerfull tool that can be used to protest against unjust systems that create unjusty systems to protect their already corrupt systems .
When people are leaving in a place
"where they are not allowed to agree to disagree
disagree to agree
to a certain degree
and still remain free...
where the well of wisdom
has surely run dry
where various politians have
degenerated into various animalistic behaviours"Surely the poets must speak(Poet Michael Mabwe)
like an advert for a drink... poetry reaches places other words can't.
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