The Body Poem by Sammy Shammah

The body, fed up with poor governance
Up in arms, on the streets it went
Placard, water bottle, national flag, armed it was
Demanding for better
Trying to mend the nation
One day the body will match

One day the body will match,
Peacefully on the Streets of its country,
Placard in hand with the country's flag
Exercising its right, aiming to fix the nation
On that day, the body joined the ancestors
In the alley of the street
Bullet lounged in its skull
Left on the path to answer the final call.

One day to dust the body will return
From the cells, with a shattered skull
Like wine from a shattered chalice
Cerebrum dripping from the ears
Claims will be the body rammed the wall
And body dumped in a morgue
Labelled 'accident victim smashed by a trailer'

One day the body will join the stars,
On the cabro, Head flat as Kenyan plains at sunset
Brains mashed like grapes in a wine press
Stomped by boots massive as unwritten stories/ the Kilimanjaro at sunrise
Ending the body's hopes
Achieving dreams yet to be achieved
One day the body will be taken

One day the body will be taken
Taken nowhere for 'interrogation'
After the affliction
Pain withstood till all the willpower left flees,
Soul shall scoot
Ice cold the body shall be
One day the body will be dumped
Dumped at a quarry pit
Covered in sack
To keep it from catching cold

One day the body will join the stars
Chilling in its residence
Stray bullet flying in
Sending it to follow the setting sun

Till that day comes
Its country, the body shall defend.
And when time to take the long sleep comes,
Gladly, the body will embrace it, knowing heaven awaits.
May that time not be soon.