Tired of Their Sympathy

 

Tired of Their Sympathy

 

They stared at me with eyes of pity

but I'm tired of their sympathy.

I once lived a normal life before

I got turned to this page.

Never expected decades

to get over this rage.

 

Reminiscing of the days  

When I owned a herd of cattle.

I was well respected, young, vibrant

And earned a community title.

Never dawned on me

I was in for a long battle.

 

Today with wrinkles on my face

After 21 years of trouble

Trekking countless miles covering

All corners of the jungle;

Hoping my wife and children

Enjoy the fruits of struggle.

 

I feel betrayed by men I entrusted with 

Leadership.

I sometimes wish I was blind and dumb

So that I could not hear or see

Selfish behaviour that make me numb.

 

But here I am

Robbed off of everything

Except the rhetorical questions:

 

What's the meaning of struggle

If a bright future cannot be

Determined by the next election?

What is the meaning of struggle

If my children cannot afford basic education?

What is the meaning of struggle

If our women are still being raped?

What is the meaning of struggle

If our economy still depends on 

Foreign aid?

Ezekiel Kuol Abuk

Ezekiel Kuol Abuk is a South Sudanese civil engineering student who is passionate about literature. Ariel Chart is his first professional writing credit and we are proud to support the hopes and aspirations of South Sudan, the newest country listed in the United National charter.

*photo from AGweb Farm Journal, common use allowed for noncommercial art venture. Photo depicts a South Sudanese farmer working to bring prosperity to a nation with enormous resources to feed itself and the region.