Wednesday, December 30, 2015

close your eyes...By Su'eddie Vershima Agema--Nigeria

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.

8 comments:

  1. 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)

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    1. Merci! Im off FB for a while but I will try to find my feet there soon again :)
      Thanks, really much. How have you been? Happppy New Year! May thr heavens be gracious to give us peace. Amin.

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  2. Thank you for this tender and compassionate poem. I read it and then began again. I so appreciate it.

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    1. Thank you really much Jo...
      Means much that you appreciate it. I pray life gives us much more better to write about. Amen.

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  3. 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.
    Charlene

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    1. #sigh.
      I 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 :)

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  4. 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

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  5. You have given a beautiful surprise, a poem that feeds us with compassion. Thank you!

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