ode of the condemned

ODE OF THE CONDEMNED

Why do you stare at me?
What have I done that your eyes shine brilliantly through me
that you look surprised
But why should you be?
Wasn’t it you that led me
Or do you forget so easily
What you told me, what you promised and never kept

Why do you yell at me?
What have I done that you didn’t knowingly give me
that you are shocked
Why should you be?
Didn’t you say you will give me shelter over my head
Bread in my mouth
And hope in my heart and you never did


Why are you ashamed of me, O ‘brother’?
You should not be
‘cause tis you that put me here
You said all we had we would share
That we would have equal chances,
Achieve the best from our fathers’ legacies.
But from the beginning it was lies
and empty promises
How could you, ‘brother’?

You should know
Man cannot live without hope
Nor can he bear total despair
You being who you are would know
From desperation, comes nothing but revolution
You know
For in your veins flows
The fierce blood of our fathers
Why do you then now scowl ?


Because you promised to give me shelter
And didn’t
I took it, why do you scorn?
You promised to put food on my table
You didn’t
I took it, why do you frown?
You said you will adorn my heart with hope
And you did not
You furnished it with anguish
So I took from you that which you selfishly kept for yourself
Then why the contempt when I only long for better


And now you revile me
How can you?
You stand there your hands raised in blame
With angry eyes, you proceed to give judgment.
That cannot be
You cannot point the finger at me, ‘brother’
For it is what belongs to me that I have taken
I have done no wrong
I have not held what was not mine
Not broken any vows
Nor told any lies
Can you claim the same, ‘brother’?


And you say I must die for my sins
Ha! I laugh at you
Your sins are greater than mine
No rights have you to judge me
Nor can you condemn me
Or hold me
I am indeed beyond you


Nevertheless what you pronounce for me
I will not contest
Death is preferable than to live with you, ‘brother’
To live in your mockery of a nation
I prefer to go far from your deceit
From the misery and pain of your unfairness
Instead I condemn you to your agitation,
to your injustice and your fake brotherhood.
To your nation of rogues and scoundrels
Of thieves and cutthroats
A nation of the greedy, the wicked, and the saint less
A nation you created my ‘brother’
Because you never kept the promises


Here, I will leave you
Passing my own judgment on you
Condemning you to life in the world
you have woven with your own hands
To live and never be blessed
I renounce you as you have condemned me
But my fate I readily accept
O ‘brother’, will you accept yours?

MURTALA ASSAYOUTI