Demos, white lies (poems)

First published online at OpEdNews.com here: Demos, white lies.

Demos

‘Human sacrifice, human tears! Human sacrifice, human tears!’

- Come the chanting, suited priests, they come every five years.

‘We want a boy, too young to vote,

But old enough to read,

That we may have his head

Filled with ideas he’s learned by rote -

He’ll die a hero, his limbs quivering,

While his parents watch the holy severing

For Demos demands (no! not we!) the warm blood from a noble throat!’

In the centre of the jungle stands the statue of Demos,

In a circle of skulls and bones which has made it famous,

People creep from miles around to worship at its feet,

But not till the sun has sunk do they dare to meet.

In the light of torches the queen, dressed in skins, ascends the throne,

Followed by another, with scowling, painted face, who stands, and does not carry a bone.

As the roar of voices grows gradually silent

The wailing of a man, woman and child grows more violent.

‘Human sacrifice, human tears! Human sacrifice, human tears!’

- Chant the smiling priests in ties, who come every five years.

A hush reigns as the reigning queen descends and grovels on the ground.

‘My people! From my past wickedness you have found

The evil of which I’m capable - I promise more!’

And a howl of rage and joy rises from every throat before

The other one kicks the queen, spits and, perspiring, begins with a shriek,

‘There was a prosperous city here once, now this - speak!

Who will you have, for I was authoress of this ruin,

And I promise better evil, truly worth pursuing!’

The acclamation reaches up to the stars,

And the old queen, whimpering, slinks away on all fours,

While the new queen, baring her teeth, raises the thigh-bone of a boy

For the priests have come forward to wish the people joy.

They want a boy, too young to vote,

But old enough to read,

That they may have his head

Filled with ideas he’s learned by rote -

He’ll die a hero, his limbs quivering,

While his parents watch the holy severing

For Demos demands (no! not they!) the warm blood from a noble throat!

white lies

 

 

“We are blessed to be living in a democracy like Bangladesh...,” US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas said in an interview....

-               The Bangladesh Observer, June 25, 2005

from a black

ambassador

we expected

truth

he now

does the

white man’s           

bidding

forgetting

our ancestry

of bondage

for his

grandfather

individual

captivity

for mine

collective

for black

and brown

people

lies are

murderous

the white man

has

the truth of power

but we have

the power of truth

go home

black friend

to your

white masters

and tell them

they lie

tell our black

brothers

the truth

they will nod

and shake

their curly

heads for

they know

the white man’s

weapon and

weakness

he lies