War And Starvation Poem by Kingsley Egbukole

Dissection is unnecessary
To number the ribs in their cages
Prominent through membrane thin flesh
Neither X-ray
To trace the shape of bony structures
Made visible under dry thin hide

Smiles and cries are indistinguishable
Stretching, over dehydrated facial skin
To leave the researcher repulsed
As both leave the subject ugly

This is the eye burden of the researcher only
The victim far from thinking of beauty pageant
Is in dire need of tiny morsels
To stretch her another few seconds before death
In a war she truly has no stake.


(Saturday 6th November,1999,2.10am)