Machete Boys Poem by Abdalla Juma Shenga

Machete Boys

You see them in all sizes, shapes and colours
Machete boys patrolling the dark corners
A deadly generation singing the song of death
Proud of their hideous actions
Shouting senseless slogans
These sly social misfits
Are a product of intoxication and idleness
That have sprouted to scar our faces
Our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters
Are a symptom of a sick society
That has neglected its youth
Now it is suffering and suffocating in fear
Streets have ceased to be safe
Homes are shrouded in grief
But how can we stop this catastrophe
Without understanding their philosophy
You see, they are not entirely to blame
Killing teenagers only makes the martyrs
Burning them makes them hotter
And from their ashes a new gang arises
To kill this snake we must chop off its head
Burn it remains just to make sure it is dead
To stop the machete we must puncture
The wheel of drug abuse and
Put those idle minds into good use
By empowering them through education
Sports and talent identification
This is the ultimate solution
Let us stop this chain reaction
That began with lack of occupation