By Liban Obsiye
Boom! The laughter ends with a violent bang
People scatter like wild beasts in all directions
No time to think, only need to find shelter
Boom! Get down, crawl, sprint, hide, lie dead
There’s no single way out.
Braap! The bullets spray the innocent as they scatter for shelter
People drop like electrocuted flies
There is no direction or purpose, just blind rage
Braap! Get down, crawl, sprint, hide, lie dead
There is no single way out.
The tears burst through the mother’s eyes as she wails by her child
He’s gone, just one among many lying dead in a pool of their blood
Why? The screams of pain and anger fill the air
There’s no reason and no response from the clouds
The look of misery and echo of pain is painted on all faces and blinds all eyes.
The dead lie alongside the ruins of people’s livelihoods
The past, present and future are soaked in blood
Fruit and vegetables role into the streets avoiding crumbling buildings
Crumbling buildings make a last stand to remain firm but are overpowered by violent anger
Cars, buses and bajaaj pile high to hide from the impact
There is no single way out.
“Somalia ha nolaato” scream the politicians
But who is killing it?
“We will persevere” scream the uniformed men
When? ask the demoralised people,
There must be a way out.
I am going to heaven thinks the murderer
How? Asks his conscience
I have eradicated infidels he tells his shaking bloody hand
You have hurt all humanity screams his heart
Boom! All return to normality.
This poem is inspired by and is a tribute to all the victims of terrorism in Somalia. I am moved by the resilience and courage of the Somali people who despite all their suffering at the hands of terrorists, continue to move forward with their lives. The beauty of this is that none of the victims will ever allow you to feel sorry for them. They will pick up the pieces and rebuild.
This poem is structured in an erratic way to illustrate that there is no coherence in explaining a terrorist attack for witnesses and victims. The violence is overwhelming and all encompassing. An attack takes lives, leaves lasting scars ad destroys people’s livelihoods. With one blast a person’s past, present and future is wiped out in most instances.
I hope all readers enjoy this poem and reflect on it. We must find a way to effectively confront terrorism in Somalia and the rest of the world. We must stop simplifying terrorism as purely attacks and understand it better to defeat it ideologically.
The author can be reached at:
@LibanObsiye (Twitter)
