THE SOLDIERS EYES, DEPICT MY ANCESTORS CRIES

 

We’re awoken to the sounds of Roosters crowing to the dawn of day;

And whilst our tea is busy warming up on the fire we kneel and pray;

 

A normal day on our settlement with the sun shining and the winds at peak;

As we prepare the day, we hearken to the elders as they sat us down to speak;

 

Sharing folk talk amongst others, as the elders handed out tasks to be completed;

As winter was approaching we could not allow our food storage to be depleted;

 

THE SOLDIERS EYES, DEPICT MY ANCESTORS CRIES

 

Herding the livestock in the depth of our valley, we observed dust in the foreground;

Alarmed we froze in utter shock to the extent of exposing our hideout and being found;

 

Men on horseback with what seemed like weapons of mass destruction over their shoulders;

We were marched back to our village with our livestock in shackles like were now prisoners;

 

Families captured in chains with our huts being up in flames and the strong put to death;

The torture was a shock to the extent that some elders having taken their last breath;

 

Uprooted from our water source and what we called home for so many generations;

We embarked upon a journey unknown and so far, it seemed we were changing nations;

 

THE SOLDIERS EYES, DEPICT MY ANCESTORS CRIES

 

Along the journey being whipped with no food or water for days they did not bother;

Many did not make the journey as they became victims to the merciless slaughter;

 

Our final destination seems with no further land in view surrounded by the ocean;

As people were rounded up daily on carts chained my elders’ names they did mention;

 

I did not know on that day it would be their last sight, as from us they vanished;

We would wake up and go to sleep malnourished accompanied by cries of anguish;

 

Our mothers and sisters passed on from soldier to soldier, as they paraded them naked;

They were hell bend on tarnishing our dignity and defiled what we regarded as sacred;

 

THE SOLDIERS EYES, DEPICT MY ANCESTORS CRIES

 

Treated like slaves in our country of birth right, by those who seek to oppress and rule;

Once decapitated our fathers and brothers would be thrown into the ocean to fool;

 

The Sharks swimming close shore got excited as if they were gifted manna from heaven;

The trauma visits me every hour, that’s why I go drown my sorrows at the nearby tavern;

 

It pains me that my people’s destiny has been stolen through decades of abuse and torture;

We must restore and set the narrative correct for the descendants through consistent folklore;

 

The restoration of their dignity requires policy formulations to advance reparatory justice;

This we will embark upon even if it requires an unwavering and tireless effort to fight this;

 

THE SOLDIERS EYES, DEPICT MY ANCESTORS CRIES

Compiled by: Elwin !Gaoseb