Caught In Our Own Snare Poem by Sarah Mkhonza

We built this snare poachers
That we are. With wire from
Our fences and stone from the
Land. We made these traps that
Now hold us hostage and have
Us dancing on one foot while
The wire goes deep into the
Flesh as the blood makes the
Leg swell and become livid.

The truth dawns at dawn in the
East as each day begins. That
To set a trap for other living things Comes back with the vengeful force
Of the boomerang to haunt the poacher.

We now look far into the horizon
For rescue only to see a swarm of
Honey bees flying close to our heads
And wonder if our hands can fight
Them off only to find ourselves
Covered with stings and bees on
The ground for they were also
Suffering after their suicidal sting
That punishes them for stinging their
Prey when they knew that they are
Better off pollinating flowers
And gathering honey for this world
Deals cruelty to the cruel.

We try to play victims and tell Stories of sadness that stand
Up and thank us for knowing how
To tell a one sided story that
Ends up entertaining frogs for
They have never been caught in
A trap. The rabbits look at the
Frogs and tell them to wait
Till those who sell frogs' legs
Come like fishermen with nets
To make their final haul in their
Noisy pond where they croak in
Multiple tunes to the annoyance
Of all living rabbits.

The trap still needs to get off
Our leg for it is when we realize
That there is only one leg that
Is trapped in this trap and that
This one legged nation trapped
By its own plague will have to
Bend and undo this trap with all
The hands that lay idle for we do
Not want the UFOs to wonder what happened to us that did not happen to the frogs in Egypt for in the fight for freedom they multiplied and invaded a Pharoah's world a determination of millions.

This trap proves that playing
The game of knowers of all things
Has never worked. There is a time
When learning to talk to bees, ducks
And the likes of such presumed
Unclever species help for one thing
They know is the number one only

Is the most important for they
Fly and swim in one direction or
They would end up in self made traps
And as lost for solutions as we are.