Sleeping Shepherds Poem by priscah Mutswenje

Shepherds, you receive condemn
From the worried, scared flock
Displeased by its conscience
Poor in individuality
The river that once spared pure waters
How poisoned and dirtied?
Not a gain of purity in it.
the vagrant garden rays are dimming`
your brilliant light rapidly dying
the admired brightness destroyed
its romantic flames cut down
smiles covered under thick layers
of salty choking sadness
the flock turning to worn out cells.
Emasculated to support its bones
Unsustaining the bulgy minds
Fighting for sanity to manipulate things
They are no longer thinking
Bodies without mind
Having cut self reflecting, conscience
Truncating the innovative unit
What an ugly shell they drag under their feet!
Plain heads balancing on top
What polluted speech are witnessed
Bearing eroded hearts
Bearing sins of the lenient hands
Accounting for failures of irresponsible shepherds
Poor shepherds
The sheep are now in disgrace
Wake up!
Sleeping shepherds
The sheep are dissolving to hyenas.