Tales from a conflict zone
Isaac Inkah *
If you are told to wear a mask
I hope it is not to hide your identity.
If you are told to stay inside the house
I hope it is not a law and order issue.
If you are told not to interact with a stranger
I hope it is not for security reasons.
You will never know what a brute force is
If you are complaining about a mask and a lockdown.
My land is a romanticized conflict zone-
Dying in my land is a pride you carry for your nation.
Killing one of us is an ultimate badge of honor.
I hope none ransacked your home
To look for something to use against you.
I pray none uses sexual assault
To teach you a lesson.
I hope, all that you know of physical and mental torture
Are from your school teacher.
I hope no one will force you to do certain things
With guns pointed on your forehead or at your back.
Human right is a song
No one wants to sing!
I hope you live to tell my tales
And stand for the rights of your fellow human beings
Calling out from a silenced zone
With parch lips and dry throats.
* Poem written by Isaac Inkah for e-pao.net
The writer is the author of Thabaan Sanu Zingpha (An anthology of poems in Inpui) and Inpui Naga Karing Ngei (2018): Reproducing Oral Narratives.
He regularly blogs at www.isaacnka.blogspot.com (Antrimwanbut Khwan).
This poem was webcasted on 25 July 2020.
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