Will Freedom Be Free? Poem by Aziz Baako

Freedom is a an African youth
Enrolled in the school
Of hard knocks.
He doesn’t know about the university
But knows the rules of the universe.

All he knows about democracy
What Clara has said to him.
And again he has seen the people vote
And has observed Presidents take oath.

Freedom was all hopeful one day
When Clara told
Him to hold
On, because most of the African Leaders
Have studied the universe
In the best universities.

Yes we can hold on as the world
Becomes a better place
He said with high hopes
Of an ignorant youth.

Freedom heard about Harvard, Stanford
Leeds and so on for the first time
And nodded his head with a big smile.

Freedom was so disappointed
One day
When a debate on TV
Proved that the leaders
Are taking Orders
From the out side.

It sounded like a fiction to him
Freedom went wild on the streets
Asking about his chances in life
As an African youth twenty
One and growing.

Mr. President.
Where were you When your
Comrades Overseas were
Achieving for their people?
Oxford, Harvard or Leeds?
I hear they are the best in the world
Why can't you save the people from
The hustles?
Why can’t you ease the frustration
And desperations of the youth?

Freedom pulled up his big baggies,
And stood looking at sign post
That read ‘Poverty Reduction, ’
He perched by a kiosk and continued

“You pronounce honors and value,
In your speech, you sounded deep
But talk is cheap.
You insisted on intelligence.
But our institution can't produce a thing,
What a sad system?
Freedom turned around angry with himself

Is it truly
Controlled from the outside?
Is it that bad that even the food seller
Can't afford three square meals?

This doesn’t sound real to me?
Would you please answer me
Mr. President?
Freedom’s Rage
Was big for his age.

Freedom continued.
We can’t figure what you learnt
In school. Or is it just a brain wash camp?
I am not sure about your,
Honors, cheated in exams huh?

Freedom sounded so rude that
I assumed
he might have been jailed
Before.
He certainly felt very failed
And disappointment was
All over his face.

Would you jail, bail or hail
Freedom if you were the
President?

Would you cool him
And help enroll him
In school or leave
Him to rot in jail
Without bail?

Freedom has lost his cool
He has been out of school
For some time now, he roams
The street to find a home
In prison with or without reason
Will Freedom ever be free?


(Despair of a Displaced Person series)