Monday 25 February 2008

“SOLDIER CHILD”

Right from the womb I could discern the sounds of gunshots
I could distinguish between the sounds of machine gun and AK47
I could hear the intense drum beats of war
I could hear war lords charging at their men to proceed to the war front
I kept on pondering what the outside world would be like

At birth, I realised it, it became apparent
I was born into a warring nation
Then it dawned on me that I was in trouble
I was going to be bred in an unpleasant environment

No lullaby
No nursery rhymes
My mother had the best voice on earth
All she could sing were songs of sorrow, anguish and pain
The only songs I learnt were war songs

It was inevitable, it was meant to be
I was destined to be a “soldier boy”
No words of encouragement to get me inspired to become a great person in life
The only form of encouragement was from the soldier man
He charges at my comrades and I to march to the battle field

We were hardened
Our hearts as hard as a solid rock
We were trained to be merciless
To kill, maim and to destroy

We were deprived of childhood
Those years of complete innocence
I wonder what it feels like
Those years we were to be under the warmth of our mothers’
Sometimes I wish I was never born
I cursed the day I was born

Peace and tranquillity were rare commodities
Our communities were full of soldier men in armoured tanks
Women were raped, girls robbed off their chastity
All we could see around us was horror
Gory images of innocent souls gruesomely murdered was normal
Blood, decaying corpses and bullet ridden homes was normal

I struggled through adulthood
I became emotionally unstable because of events of past years
I was denied the bliss of childhood
I vowed my children would not undergo what I went through
I wanted them to experience childhood

The ghosts of my past life haunt me
In my dream, I see souls of children we killed during the war
They are hunting for me in vengeance
It is not my fault
I was destined to be a soldier child

Alas the war is finally over
Everything seems to be falling into place
Soldier men no longer on our streets
No sounds of gun shot
A sigh of relief at last

Now I’m happily married
My wife is almost due
I’m in a state of euphoria

Arghhh fear is not over yet
Another war just broke out

I thought the war would be part of history
I would tell my children as tales of the past
Under the Sycamore tree at my backyard, I would tell those tales
Tales of how their father survived and struggled through the war

I vowed my children would enjoy childhood in its real sense
But it’s the case no more
They will have to live through the new war and perhaps become soldier boys.

29 comments:

Jennifer A. said...

"The ghosts of my past life haunt me
In my dream, I see souls of children we killed during the war
They are hunting for me in vengeance
It is not my fault
I was destined to be a soldier child


*Sigh*

This piece kind of jolted some emotions that I don't want to feel...it's sad!

Allied said...

so so sad... adults who go to war come back at war with themselves. Not to talk to children who live and fought a war... The gruesome event is forever imbedding in their memory...

princesa said...

Did you write this babe??
Very deep.
Nice too!

Naija Chickito said...

This will invoke sad feelings even in the most hardened of hearts. No one deserves to be born into war. Lord have mercy.

shhhh said...

another budding writer on blogville. i salute u madam. war is terrible, souls are lost, limbs, dreams, and families are torn apart, sometimes ad infinitum

plastiQ said...

Reason to Live?:
(1) MUSIC!
Sample: POLICE AND THIEVES
(Junior Murvin / Lee Perry)
smile*

BloggersDelight said...

We appreciate you taking the time to visit our corner of the blog-world and leave a comment. You have been added to our blog-roll.

Zayzee said...

there's this song in my lang which u only hear on the morning of the town festival, translated, it means,
'ye ye ye, that person that was going to war the other time, he came back and he is a half person'.

the song is deeper and means more.

Like u blogged, war affects more people than we know. I pray we never to experience one.

Unknown said...

Look, babe, I wouldn't know if you had read Uzodinma Iweala's Beasts of No Nation or Biyi Bandele's Burma Boy?

I was overly touched reading this and I think this will be the best poem I've read since this year.

I loved it.

Sasuke said...

nice write up chic but sure scared the shit out of me...war is no fun at all oh! your write up is sooo graphic! nice work

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

So melancholy, but the message is clear.



NIGERIAN CURIOSITY
IT WAS SO MUCH EASIER WHEN I ONLY HAD ONE...

wellsbaba said...

KAI!...were u born in seirra leone...lol...war is crazy mehn,we ar lucky 9ja is not marred by war lyk some african countries...i hav dis female friend shes came in from liberia(shes so fine!!!) after seein d movie blood diamonds,i asked her hav u killedb4?....she jst smilled......dat said it all!
im new to bloggin u cud help a broda out n stop by alwais!
wellsbaba.blogspot.com

ejura said...

aya!
a mother with a nice voice that sings only sorrowful songs...

what wars do to women and children. sigh.

Thanks for stopping by!

Anonymous said...

wow!well written lik eone of those poem we studied in high school for literature!war is terrible..i have seen war only on tv but i know it is awful..i pray that i never see it!and i pray for healing for those who have gone thru it

TheAfroBeat said...

WOW. Just wow!

ok, your poem definitely deserves more than the stunned reaction of a blown away reader. I understand that vow to make sure your children never suffer the things you suffered and I pray that it's not too late to stop them from being soldier children. However, there'll always be some battle to fight out there so perhaps we're all soldier boys in one war or the other. Only time and insight will tell.

Great post!

Sherri said...

very sad!
what a horrible experience for a child.

nicely written

Anonymous said...

i havent read...just showing some love...i wuz ere!@

Afrobabe said...

Wow, this was great...I am sure it captures the feelings of every soldier out there fighting, they are always hunted by the souls they are forced to kill...

Allied said...

update

Manda said...

i was touched in the heart! Nice write up.

Naija Sutra said...

Ok, this is a truly powerful poem and i thought my little gatherings from the children was something, this is definitely a lot.

Hephzibah said...

I had to read this like 4x to fully appreciate it! it is so damn touching and real....

*sighs* I'm afraid apart from echoing all the previous comments, no other word/sdjective could fully describe what I feel..

The piece is truly beautiful, May God heal your seen and unseen wounds....

Anonymous said...

wow this is powerful...kai i have always feared war men...had a friend who lost so much in a terrible situation...i love this

wellsbaba said...

guy do u lyk war so much?upload anoda post naw,b4 i break ur head wit stick now!.....lol

plastiQ said...

u gotta update men,pls..................i need to read sumthing creative pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, its soul food. please. thanx

wellsbaba said...

im here again oooo

Anonymous said...

Very well written out and versed. Keep up the good work. Try writing more poems.

Omo Oba said...

this is...a very eloquent poem, i loved it but I do not know if it is enough to love the natural and powerful tone of this poem...
just curious, where did u grow up?

Today's ranting said...

@ omo oba, I was bred and buttered in Nigeria.I have never experienced war in my entire life.I had a blissful childhood and I'm enjoying my adulthood. This is just creative writing it has got nothing to do with me