the river

the river
it runs deep
wide
and
dry
splitting the earth at its seams
filled with the unshed tears of
200 plus thousand ummas who weep in buried corners of their hearts

this city
country
so beautiful
cracked down its center
by a shame so deep
its own people
have dug to bury
labeling its own
"foreigners"
sending us away
oh how the world has failed its ummas
how the world has failed the children of this earth

secrets that run back to the shilla
secrets that run back 5 plus generations back
crashing up onto the highways

and i
i walk down this riverbed
sinking in its mire
few will stop to help
most will turn
blind eyes
most will say
"was not me"

whilst i point my finger saying
"i love you but you could not love me"

father forgive

riverbeds
are going to split this land
till ummas are allowed to stand heads public -
wail
and
mourn

father forgive this land
how i love it
my body knows it
i am born of it

born of this riverbed
mire
waves
shores
gutted farmlands

we're the stains
that you cannot wash or wipe away
you have denied the ummas all their tears

i am of you
i am you

purest form
that i could ever be

and in each finding
in each tear finally allowed to flow

the riverbed
begins to heal
this
land so beautiful
and its people
so

i lay down my hand
pull in my fingers
and can
no longer
blame

can only
join the ummas
and howl the tears that they were forced to send away