Ethnic violence in East Africa: GENERAL ADVISORY

 

 

Ethnic violence in East Africa:

GENERAL ADVISORY

I.               possible scenarios

Before gossip resumes its rounds

a nation shall begin to crumble.

Much heat

Not enough breath

Pain,

gangrene,

death,

swollen earth, but mostly

Just ill-will.

 

In far lands, in small boxes will arrive news.

Machetes will travel to end life

On screen!

viewers will open their mouths

But food will not fall

They will debate the picture quality

Possible viewer restrictions...and

 the dryness of the table wine.

 

Blood will flow but refuse to flood

The future, struggle against the past

bayonets shall be sheathed

barrels lowered

to lose fury freely into the earth

vomit foreign food laced with bad ideas

hope shall stand against despair.

 

II.             if you are in pinckneyville, illinois

Watch from a distance,

Case study this with all your head,

Dab sketchy college notes on the case

But good old ignorance will suffice;

Profess knowledge of the furless ape -

Observe specimen in a neo-colonial cage.

III.           if you are a reporter

Publicly declare

‘The subject, in its element is a master

In the arts of self-annihilation!

Given to violent activity...incident in Africa.

Erratic, ...primitive... worse in a dry spell.

But, an ape!

Just markedly better co-ordinated

than most...’

 

IV.            if you are a victim

Keep a hat for the January heat,

Plug your ears from the plague of political noise

Try to breath

Before the nation chokes on its own breath,

Try keeping still

As hand goes against foot,

Waist defies the shoulders,

Sub-nation against sub-nation

And the mother-nation goes into seizure.

Write a will.