Why Africa 1973 Poem by Gerald Kithinji

Spit! Why spit
Why soil our pleasure
Why remould these ruins
Seven days- like the fly
Live and let live
Die and let live
In neighbourhood of life
Beyond valley of death
Where kings and warriors
Hold debate incessant
On whose war whose peace
Where the foe who the friend
Which the captive when the capture

Trenches- like Sedan
Why their lives and not ours
If I might venture query
Mister War Minister:
Why not let them be
Let them drink
And eat and be merry-
Like life like peace

Bones- who wants them
Zaire? Uganda?
Nigeria? Tanzania?
Sudan? Rwanda?
Or which bloody State?
Which bloody son of his mother?

Will you oppose
bloody death by bloody death?
Answer me Black Son Of Africa?
Will you betray our hard-won life
By surrender to this glorious butchery!

Where is Lumumba?
Where is Balewa?
Where is Nkrumah?
Where Mboya?
Where…?
Where?
Tell me Son!

And you-
Where will you be
This time tomorrow?
1973