John G. Nelson (August 24,1976 / Monrovia, Liberia)

Scorches of war, how the stars rot….
in blazing heat, soul strips in camps
doom by long waits, torn by distress,
how curse made us lesser amid men?

How we end up, our values dwindled,
replace by hurts, wails & bad memories?
when long waits, fade beauty and hopes
lay dreams in cages, feed fears & anger.

Men made us objects, threw us yonder,
And lay a judge upon skins & religions
How hearts became property of the state,
and bends by decrees, limit by boundary?

A land from where we came, sang wars
Cried fears, live amid hate and groaned,
Whose hands injured our eyes & hearts,
Now lay us waste in refugee camps…..

How men pity our soul, saw us nothing
unworthy we felt, we sat down and wept
saw ourselves slave to men & commands
chained as a refugee, caged like a bird….

01/10/2006 John Nelson