Western policy is in near despair over Darfur, and governments are turning to Russia and China to see if they can put pressure on the Sudanese government to accept a UN peacekeeping force. "There is a critical period now when the whole international community has to use its influence on Sudan," the British Minister for Africa Lord Triesman told reporters.
The plains are quiet under the forlorn Sudan The people wilt like flowers planted beneath the sand From rape and murder and starvation
Of unfed mouths Unfed hope Love Care Humanity
Consumed by the Janjaweed Ravaged by the Baggara Descendents of grand tribes Lost
And moving
Down Roving the sands And hopeless sun Stopping only to Plant gardens
Down Push the black seed
Down Into the empty guts Of Darfur
Down Again Darfur
Down
The hunters raid The rapists thieve The murderers slay Lacerating fatality
Down Upon the child’s teeth
Down Upon the mother’s bones
Down Upon the father’s strapped back Trickling
Down Oozing
Down A growing loss Infection The seeds of genocide Blooming
Down Flowering
Down The zenith of rot Rising down Now a wailing Weeping Desperate Sobbing Fearful Bawling Hopeless Howling
Western policy is in near despair over Darfur, and governments are turning to Russia and China to see if they can put pressure on the Sudanese government to accept a UN peacekeeping force.
"There is a critical period now when the whole
international community has to use its influence on Sudan,"
the British Minister for Africa Lord Triesman told reporters.
The plains are quiet under the forlorn Sudan
The people wilt like flowers planted beneath the sand
From rape and murder and starvation
Of unfed mouths
Unfed hope
Love
Care
Humanity
Ravaged by the Baggara
Descendents of grand tribes
Lost
Roving the sands
And hopeless sun
Stopping only to
Plant gardens
Push the black seed
Into the empty guts
Of Darfur
Again
Darfur
The rapists thieve
The murderers slay
Lacerating fatality
Upon the child’s teeth
Upon the mother’s bones
Upon the father’s strapped back
Trickling
Oozing
A growing loss
Infection
The seeds of genocide
Blooming
Flowering
The zenith of rot
Rising down
Now a wailing
Weeping
Desperate
Sobbing
Fearful
Bawling
Hopeless
Howling
O! Janjaweed!
O! America!
O! World!
And burials
Down
Descending
Into the dark
Of hopelessness
Heaving Heaving Heaving
Swelling upon the child’s lips
Across the mother’s breasts
Through the father’s hands
Over the nation’s love
Upon the world’s hope
Copyright © 2006 mrp / thepoetryman
A Nation Divided
Annan Warns Sudan
Reclaiming the past
Darfur's doomed peacekeeping mission