O Lord!

What happened

To the Somali Land?

No wonder

It is full of sand.

No rain

To grow the grain

Nor is there any vegetation.

Only the dried, crusted

Blood of children.

There are, of course, MEN OF WAR

Who roam all over

Murdering those who care

For the elderly, women and children.

Tell me, MEN OF WAR

How long are we to endure

The pain from our cruel WAR?

As for me, I CRY LOUD

For the Somali Land.

I CRY LOUD

For all the children

Who lost self and a homeland.

I CRY LOUD

For the beautiful Somali Land,

Where the children used to play

And dance in Mogadishu.

I also cry loud for Ethiopia

As part of East Africa.

What happened to the Somali Land

Could also happen

To the Ethiopian Children.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS

* Lemlem Tsegaw's new book, 'Hear Me Now', is available from www.blurb.com.
* © Lemlem Tsegaw. The poem is in response to an article titled 'Border town strangled by Ethiopian-Eritrea tensions' (Sunday 24 July 2005) by Ed Harris of the BBC.
* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at Pambazuka News.