Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The Tender Face Of Famine In The Horn Of Africa

Spare A Thought For  This Starving Somali Child In A Kenyan Refugee Camp, And Wonder Like I am Doing Here When  Africa Will Outgrow
Heart-Rending Images Like This! 

Photo Credit: The Telegraph (UK)
(July 2011)
-------------------------------




Africa
Africa my Africa
Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs
Africa of whom my grandmother sings
On the banks of the distant river
I have never known you
But your blood flows in my veins
Your beautiful black blood that irrigates the fields
The blood of your sweat
The sweat of your work
The work of your slavery
Africa, tell me Africa
Is this your back that is unbent
This back that never breaks under the weight of humiliation
This back trembling with red scars
And saying no to the whip under the midday sun
But a grave voice answers me
Impetuous child that tree, young and strong
That tree over there
Splendidly alone amidst white and faded flowers
That is your Africa springing up anew
Springing up patiently, obstinately
Whose fruit bit by bit acquires
The bitter taste of liberty.

--David Diop (1927-1960)









2 comments:

  1. WE CAN ONLY WONDER, WHEN AFRICA WILL BE FREE.
    OF A TRUTH, THE LEADERSHIP IN AFRICA SHOULD BE CHALLENGED BY AN IMAGE LIKE THIS.BUT WILL THEY?
    WONT THEY STILL CART THE WEALTH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES TO SOME FAR FLUNG DESTINATIONS IN EUROPE AND VARIOUS SECURE ACCOUNTS ALL OVER THE WORLD?

    ReplyDelete
  2. While children starve to death, African leaders are looting the continent blind...Selfish and greed are rife.

    ReplyDelete