Monday, June 7, 2010

DOUBLE STANDARDS

For Richard Tellinghast

They shout of existential threat

Of their right to exist all the time

Yet, they are an existential threat

Denying others that right to exist

What kind of people are these?

Who see other people as not fit to live

They stole others' land and continue to steal

They occupy others' territories and continue to do so

They keep them under murderous siege

Denying them every basic necessity of life

No medicines. no schools not even clean water

No electricity, no building materials not even cherries

Yet, they shamelessly shout the song of freedom

They beat the drums of high moral values and standards

Where is freedom and where is morality?

Only Uncle Sam and his cronies could tell

They attack with full force at slightest provocation

They care not killing and maiming women and children

Not even the United Nations is spared of their madness

Yet the most powerful democracies world over are mute

Oh great powers, bear witness to the senseless killings

Bear witness to the arrogance of this murderous State

Bear witness to the flight of the innocent and powerless

And shall also bear witness to what injustice and inaction leads.

Kaduna, June 7 2010