After the war Poem by Natalia Molebatsi

after the war,
what do we do
with the guns
and the machetes?
after the war,
when the men
and the boys return
what do we do
with the guns
and the machetes?
do we toss them
into the deepest of pits
never to see them
surface again?
or do we keep them,
in tact, just in case
after the war,
what do we do
with the guns
and the machetes?
when the men
and the boys are torn
and worn and dead
what do we do,
with the guns
and the machetes?
do we melt them
onto our walls
as amulets?
or do we pass them on
to next brother or stranger?
just in case
we need another war
after this one