Listen To Me Poem by Francis Kokutse

Sister,
l am not sitting in front of you
because l am gone.

There are things that have
consumed my soul and l
am not the person you see.

My heart is on fire and
not even the waters of the Volta
can put it out.

My sister,
l have lost my bearing
an animal has captured me
and done to me what no
human being should suffer.

Did you hear laughter, my sister?
these are not sounds of joy
but the laughter that only
a bitter man can laugh to cry.

I fear for the night because
sleep has quareled with my eyes
and refused to make peace with me
and l toss on my bed like wood
that has been carried away by flood water.

I cannot cry my sister, since
my tear ducts are dried because of
what has happened to me.

I sought happiness and bought
sorrow with all that evil with it
and my whole life is just one that
can never know joy, my sister.

Didn't you see it happening?
why didn't you say a word to stop
me from taking those steps
towards disaster, my sister?