Oh why, why: Tigray?
Tigray!
Gulo Mekheda, Yehia
Aksum, Atsbi Dera,
From head to tail
Once a civilisation symbol:
How and why did you fall
Into hell,
The abyss bowel
Of an anthropophagi ghoul?
From a centre to a periphery
From pioneers to drudgeries
From enlightenment to oblivious
Banishment;
From sovereigns to slaves,
Behind prions,
Shackled from neck
To the ankle.
From prosperous denizens
To beggars gusset gunny bedizened.
From prosperity
To humility,
With bowl in hand poverty.
From fame
To ignominious shame,
From grace
To malevolence crudeness .
Tigray,
Oh: Why did you go to bed With
Those who malice and contrived
To drive you to death deprived!
When you had your own strength
To fend off intruders and stand on
Your feet nonpareil by contenders
Be it was Assyrian, Rome
Or the pharaohs!
Belay Ambelay