Gone to never go back until the freedom day: Poem

By Hashim Adam* | January 14, 2013 

Gone to never go back until the freedom day

In the dark and Rainy night
When everything was still
The quiet boy was gone
To take a break from injustice
Oppression and poverty
Break from life with out choice
A challenging and sour life
He left to never go back
What a wonder for the family and friends
The quiet boy in the village was gone
Gone to never go back
In desire of equality, freedom and justice
He said goodbye to the controlled life
Life of darkness in a clear sunny day
Life of discrimination and hatred
Dived into the dark and rainy night
Because
He had to join the fight
The fight for freedom
Life and hope
Observing around
All he saw was
Destruction
Destruction of environment
Of culture and identity
Demotion of pride of his origin
Destruction of history
Ignorance
Poverty
Killings and incarceration
Mistreatment of his people
He had had enough of all the wrongs and evils
Thus made his way out
Through the dark and rainy night
For the darkness was his protection
Protection from the bad guys
Those who invaded his village
Robbed him the gifts of his ancestors
The green land
Clean lakes and rivers
The fertile soil and beautiful landscape
With all gone and nothing left for him
With his parents taken away
And their whereabouts not known
Without land and knowledge
Knowledge that he was deprived
Because
He was the son of “Shiftaa”
Whom he recalls as a freedom fighter
He did not have a choice
But to leave
No witness, but God
And that dark and rainy night
He was gone
Gone to the far away to never go back
Until the freedom Day!
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Hashim Adem is the former President of the International Oromo Youth Association (IOYA).