BY ALEM HAILU
For three reform years
Engaged in a killing bender
Not allowing citizens’
Mind for a second to be free
Among ethnic & religious groups
Creating and fomenting antipathy
Of the highest degree
We proved adamant
Rejecting every peace plea.
No wonder, no wonder
We treated kneeled mothers
With a cold shoulder,
In such manner, we gave order
“Do it. Go ahead
Kill the feeble, elderly
Even every lacerating mother
In her bed.
Turn the land a river red
With atrocity ‘TPLF made’.”
About money worry
Should we why?
For three decades we sucked,
We bled the country dry.
Dollars we dispatched abroad
Stashing-away some in our abode.
Promising African democracy
On par with current Ghana,
We chained some political prisoners
With a hyena—our emblem
In our ill-reputed political game.
Many to subdue,
Out of the framework of law
We brought to life
A score of Guantanamo bay
Where numerous, underground,
Were tortured night and day.
As a junta
When our mind threatened
Us of a conscious pang
On it, we put out our tongue.
We were
A living billboard of a terrorist
But putting on a mask
Many we blacklisted
On the terrorist list
In such a fashion
The myopic—UN, EU
IMF, WB— the offender
For a victim admit.
Massacre, genocide
We committed with great passion
Also exposing our own nation
For a possible invasion.
Odd as it may sound, attacking
The national defense force
In barracks out to keep border
But defeated by a militia &ENDF
We complain attack on our
Ethnic group by a country yonder.
Dealt a devastating blow
Our moral has hit ever time low.
During our heyday
In our state the demonstration
Of rape victims we used to ban
But now reversing the talk
Loud shout we can
To the international community
“Come up with ‘Stop rape spree
In Tigray!’ decree”
While in TPLF’s reign
A single junta did rape girls fifty
But none of us saw that
Uncouth or naughty.
“If accused
Let alone bring him to court
We could see him off to port!”
We said.
What is more
By ENDF after defeat
Before we retreat
Let us release thugs to run amok
And on Tigray’s rebuilding
And stabilization wheels
To insert a spoke.
There is no organization
No nation as UN, EU &US a fool
But who seem cool.
Fabricating lies
We shall prove ourselves
Innocent in their eyes.
Abroad on demonstration square
Shouting for help flat on our back
To dupe the global community
Let us try our luck.
Of course, media outlets
That deserved a high five
Have fallen from grace,
‘cause for want of integrity
Journalism has observably
Made a nosedive.
Unfortunately those
Countries with integrity
Could see through
Our mask
What a bad luck.
Feedback on all poetryblog
By DownintheHolden- i really got to read this, huh. i am pinning it to my wall and get to it soon. skimmed -Profound and feel the spirit cold and bone chilling.Thank you.
The Ethiopian Herald 20 March 2021
