Life Through My Eyes

Dear red! How I loathe and love you! How I long for you and dread you! How I sit eagerly at the edge of the bed waiting for your arrival! I scream in excitement when you peep But there are days I don't want you here When you come,   My heart sinks I cry out my eyes For you shouldn't have come, and now I am here... You leave me devasted I love you and loathe you dear red Ohhh red! PC: The internet Through the eyes of AYENYO Joanita

Small huts cramped together like small mushrooms known as Okinyo in the Acoli language Hungry and miserable faces of the young, middle-aged, and the elders Amidst the small huts are the latrines, urinals, and bath shelters You want to stretch your legs You might kick your neighbor’s pot on the fire Life is so rough and miserable   The common talk in the camp is; The world food My card is lost The ratio given the other day was so meager The camp commander has not written my name Yesterday fire broke in zone C, today in zone A, the other day in zone D   Hooo, when shall we talk of development? Other districts and regions are so far ahead while the north is nowhere near Days come and go Weeks after weeks Months come, months go One year after the other No going back home Elders are dying one by one Who will lead the young to their respective villages?   Oh dear us, We are lost in this jungle PC: The internet Through the ...

  Peace Peace P-e-a-c-e I am now 19 years old My mother tells me that you were once here She tells me what they used to do when you were around I try to imagine what you look like, but... Your image doesn't come I open my eyes wide to capture your image, but I don't see you Ee peace, where have you gone? Beyond the horizon? What kind of transport do you need to come back with? Should the new generation only hear about you and not enjoy your company? My mother tells me they used to move long distances at night I only think that she is crazy She tells me they used to sleep outside during the dry season I tell her to stop daydreaming Your absence has made us miss a lot of fun Ahhh... Peace delegations have sat at round tables to discuss how best you can return  The young and old generations are longing for in an equal measure Please do come We need you badly Soldiers have hunted for you with guns, but You are nowhere to be found Politicians have called you, but In vain Civilians ...

 Acoli of today is not the Acoli that  was Talk about selfishness, Acoli that was didn't know Whoever came and found people eating would just look for water to wash hands  And join the rest without any formal invitation Talk about poverty Who knew what it was Domestic animals of all kinds Uncountable in every home Foodstuff stored in big granaries Children were the flowers of the compound They were fed by all for they belonged to all Socialisation of the Acoli that was...unspeakable! Youth could spot their lovers from the arena Make proper investigation Make a follow up to home Dances were during broad daylight Dressings were the type that don't hide some abnormalities Photo Credit: Roger Brown Through the eyes of ALOBO Vine Mother to AYENYO Joanita Written in 2007