Misery in the Camp (Lamentation)

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 eyes of ALOBO Vine

Mother to AYENYO Joanita

Written in 2007