close
your eyes for a second
as
you hear the howling harmattan winds blow
it
is the sound of a child somewhere
shouting
from their heart
their
mouth sealed from a deep hunger
and
a missing parent, lost to the earth
the
blanket you cover at night
that
doesn’t seem okay
is
one they pray for today
to
give them warmth against the coldness
that
life has become
some
others are there – and you see them
in
the streets
they
move with fear, having lost all they hold dear
they
will be there this Christmas
maybe
they will come to your gate
it
might be early, it might be late
when
they say ‘Happy Christmas’
don’t
just offer rice
open
your heart, offer hope and give a surprise
Su'eddie Vershima Agema was
joint winner, Association of Nigerian Authors Prize for Poetry 2014 with his
second collection, Home Equals Holes: Tale of an Exile. He lives in
Nigeria, blogs at http://sueddie.wordpress.com
and can be reached at eddieagema@yahoo.com.
@sueddieagema on Twitter.
Su'eddie, YES! YES TO THIS! So glad to see this here at Whispers. I had to share it on Facebbook. -- Halima Ayuba (Laura M Kaminski)
ReplyDeleteMerci! Im off FB for a while but I will try to find my feet there soon again :)
DeleteThanks, really much. How have you been? Happppy New Year! May thr heavens be gracious to give us peace. Amin.
Thank you for this tender and compassionate poem. I read it and then began again. I so appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteThank you really much Jo...
DeleteMeans much that you appreciate it. I pray life gives us much more better to write about. Amen.
Dear Su'eddie, I was really touched by your poignant poem. It breaks my heart to think of these poor children you so adequately portrayed. Yes more than a bowl of rice, they need love ad compassion. Yet all I have to offer are prayers and faith God will somehow provide. Thank you for sharing your heart in this well written poem.
ReplyDeleteCharlene
#sigh.
DeleteI guess many times we can't always reach out with our hands where our hearts would want to get to. Prayers...let us pray. And where we others can, we will. God save us all.
Thank you Charlene. Means much :)
Your moving poem expresses the caring we all wish we could give, and pray that those who can, will. Blessings for a wonderful new year my friend. I know how fortunate I am and bless those children with what I can give and prayers. Aloha, Connie
ReplyDeleteYou have given a beautiful surprise, a poem that feeds us with compassion. Thank you!
ReplyDelete