Killing The Schoolboy Poem by Dr. Ahmed Gumaa Siddiek

Dedicated to the lost souls of the schoolboys and schoolgirls
of El-Obied Massacre in Kordofan July 29,2019

He was only a schoolboy, on his way to school
He was thirteen, slim and tall

Unaware of the world around him
He was about to start his school day at a gym
As he was good at athletics,
Excellent in physics and mathematics

And because he was a normal boy;
His life was always full of joy
With his books all the day and his games
And sometimes changes his toys
With other boys

But he did never destroy or annoy,
Or disturb anyone's joy
And because he was a normal boy,
He used to enjoy life with high dreams
Surrounded with a pool of good friends

And because he was a boy,
A normal boy,
He spends a lot of time reading books
Watching films, especially Tom and Jerry
But keen to do his assignments on time, then will hurry,
To sneak on his Web Pages, on the Facebook and Instagram
Sending photos of birds and animals,
as he dreams one day to be a vet

Then after that he will text his classmates
To make a date
For a tournament in the evening
At the school gate

He was only a boy, thirteen years old! !
Smart and bold
But on that day;
He was on his way, to school
With some pencils, some textbooks,
and a ruler of 12 inches and a football

His school bag, on his shoulder
He did never talk to or hurt a soldier
Nevertheless,
The sniper shot him from above the roof
Why for? What for?
What did he want to prove?

Why did he kill the boy in cold blood?
Because the boy asked for a loaf of bread…
Was it a good reason to shoot him dead?
With a bullet on the back of his head?

That was exactly what the sniper skillfully did
He shot him dead, on the head
Then the boy came down to the ground
And his face kissed the sand of his land
The golden sand of Shykan in Kordofan
Where history began in Sudan

He was only a boy! !
The sniper shot him down
He gave him no time
To defend himself
Or know his crime
He gave him no time
To say his prayers
Or pay a farewell to his Mom and Dad
Or say a goodbye to his family
He was a mere lad

His soul soon went to sky
He did never shout against the soldiers
And he did never break their orders
He only asked for food
And a cup of water for the day
To finish his school and run away
Back home
Where he would sit down in his simple room
Read his books and do his homework
As soon as possible
To join his schoolmate
At the school gate
To play an evening football match
But he did not think of the fate
That a sniper would shoot him,
on the back of his head
And make him dead

But still...sniper...
Who taught you to (shoot to kill?) ***
with that great skill! ! !
And still
Why did you kill the schoolboy?
What was his crime? for what cause?
'Because…….'
'Because……...........'
'Because……...................'
'In fact, there was no cause'
'Ah.... because, the boy was too smart, '
'Slim and tall! ! '
And because: 'he was adored by his friends too much'
'And he was very good at football! ! '
'And because, ...'
'Because he used to love the school'

*** A famous quotation for the famous Sudanese politician, Ali Othman Mohammed Taha giving permission for the army to shoot and kill any citizen crossing borders and carrying food to South Sudan.