Freedom - Cosmas Mairosi

I saw freedom written on terrestrial walls,
freedom written in children's blood,
freedom oozing from decaying bodies.

I heard freedom's anthems sung by decapitated souls
and mothers gathering the severed limbs of their toddlers.
I saw fathers' hopes going up in flames at the height of
civilian demonstrations and political protests.

Freedom distorted in the jumbled hysteria of wailing widows.
Freedom frozen in the mouths of bantering dictators.
Freedom summarized in endless fear and pain.

I saw freedom end in political turmoil and economic slavery,
babies abandoned by dollar-seeking mothers,
democracies failing to remove dictators from the throne
and the people growing used to such oppression.

I saw all this slander and bloodshed and
said, "Freedom is here, Mother!"
but then, demented like drowning shadows,
all the free turned on me and said,
"We have reaped nothing
of what we have sown."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great poem, Cosmas.
Freedom is certainly an abstract concept. One can argue that you can use your freedom to excel or expel yourself from the community of sense. In Africa, our concept of freedom is conflicted due to megalomaniac rulers and totalitarian governments. Even democracy and due process do not guarantee the practical implementation of what freedom is supposed to be. So true freedom cannot be achieved, except in creativity where there are no boundaries.

Emmanuel Sigauke said...

Strong message, Cosmas.

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Anonymous said...

brilliant speech there Prince, am stunned.