Rwanda

The eyes burn
the nose itches
the belly craves, and
the bones in the wrists, ankles, and legs throb--
but the joys of the body are not unknown
as the mind grows, and perhaps
even a little wisdom is honed
I wake breathless in the morning,
deep from the warmth of sleep,
I hear the birds chirping in the dark,
think about God,
wonder what It is all about,
name my ten gratitudes,
try not to be cynical
or shrewd, try to remember the surge of spring in the veins,
the passions, the love,
All calm now, tempered
with disbelieving almost everything taught to me
by man.
What a brain-wash it all is,
steeped in the illusions of "our way"
which is the way
that has led the world to such
a catastrophe as Rwanda.
Saw a movie last night on the million dead,
created by our greed, our culture, our Christianity. the solution?
Forget the UN, propagated by our commerce,
Take all the Western Colonialists
(who thrive more today than ever)
add them to all the western-educated Rwandans,
and put them out of their misery.
Perhaps hen the 10,000 years of peace
will descend on Africa again.
When our civilization has failed completely
as a humanitarian enterprise,
why do we think we can solve
the problems we have
created? We don't.
We,
the generals and suited elite
enjoy the problems as "the great game"
like the British were playing
all around the world
in the old days,
destroying one culture after another.
Enter.
Divide.
Incite racial hatred --
and they'll kill each other.
While we stand by moaning our Christian hymns,
mouthing our hypocritical paeans of peace.
Whoever made enough money art war games
in peacetime? Greed is the creed.
Even though the birds still sing
in the pre-dawn light.

- Abel Araya