THE HANDSTAND | DECEMBER 2005 |
Cry
my beloved country * Cry for my non-existent childhood Cry for my stolen youth Cry for my uprooted olive trees Cry for my village which lost its
name Cry for the maimed children Cry for the widowed mothers And cry for the raped land. A land I tended with my tears Yes, cry, as I am crying For non-caring kin Yes, cry as I am crying For non-caring humanity Cry because I stopped crying I have no more tears to spare I need them for my childrens
graves My children have gone to war They will not come back alive They think their blood will bring
back the olive trees They think that their blood will
wipe out the infamy Of kin who did not raise a finger Of humanity which did not utter a
word To protect my olive trees By Raja Mattar *
Theme inspired by the title of the South African writer
Alan Patons book Cry the Beloved Country
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