That Night Poem by Ryekotoo Julius Peter

That night,
when dream was about to come,
I heard man made thunders
Earsplitting and striking,
On cloudless sky -
with fire on their tails.
On Adam's suit -
Nothing to overcome coldness
I danced in agony
The rhythm of gunshot

I exiled in bush.
Since it was a routine
That I rest in my hut at day time,
I befriended nocturnes with no doubt

As I pillowed my head
On a heap of soil
Near the edge of compound,
I saw my womb-mate
And neighbor's children
Chained in two queues
Like convicts of treason,
"Kadogo fanya araka, " a voice said.

As usual, I returned home
when the day broke -
Occupied with last night's memory,
Morning sun congealed blood
That oozed from lifeless body,
Walls stood naked with no roofs
No doors
yet, night falls with sorrows

Year in, year out
Neighbors children returned home
Emaciated, sticky
Like kwashiorkor sufferers,
Some were lip-less
Others with all sorts of disabilities,
My womb-mate scar faced
‘I spilled blood, ' his saga.