Liberia O. Liberia
On the streets lies the bodies of your young
the screaming echos of unweary souls
bullet blasting, unsuspected, dead
A boy, young in age
A Liberian soldier.
Educated only in the field of war
to write, he write's not
to kill, licensed and well informed
seven skulls of his victim
he counts his age
with pride and honor
he fights for his country
"liberia free, free liberia"
that was his last words
has he fell to the floor
waving the flag he so loved
has he lay down upon the ground he came from
the flag still waving, the hope still alive
another young soilder, same in age
in respect, with falling tears, closed his eyes
picked up the gun and continued to fight for liberia.
This is clearly a loaded poem, which touches on the Liberian civil war, which began in the late 1980s, and ended in 1997. There were many child soldiers who participated in the war.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is interesting because it assumes an omniscient perspective, but the reader feels as though he/she gets inside of the soldier's head and understands his feelings, and motivations.
It also has a cyclical form, which serves its contents well. These little boys cannot escape the cycle of violence that consumes their nation. As they watch their friends, and brothers die for a cause they so direly believe in, they feel compelled to continue the fight.
Clearly, violence begets violence.