Child Soldiers

by Dime Maziba / September 4th, 2016

I’m young
But I’ve chosen the battlefield
Instead of school seat.
For rhetoric has failed to protect us,
Machine gun will whisper deafening words.

I used to stare at
Hungry flies flutter over inert bodies
The nose on top
Beseeching God’s pity.

The mirror of life has carved up
The solstice of my exquisite joy.
Don’t I fear a bloody death?
Do they fear the fetal one?

I shall not come back.
The cistern of my tragedy
Sprinkles burning flames
Of a spoiled child’s dream.
I missed the fetal death
but they won’t miss the ignominious decease.

Dime Maziba is originally from Democratic Republic of Congo. He considers himself as pan-Africanist and a disciple of Marcus Garvey. He is a poet, writer and activist. He is also a financial accounting student from Durban University of Technology in the Republic of South Africa. He is currently taking part in the Florence Foundation, an NGO which strikes against women abuse and children illiteracy mainly, in the eastern part of Congo. He is working on his poetry book. Read other articles by Dime.

This article was posted on Sunday, September 4th, 2016 at 8:02am and is filed under Poetry.