Written piece
Lament of the Heroes
Katherine Ketlaaroma Sefemo
Botswana
About this piece
My story is about a little girl who believed so much in a future through the vision of the Commonwealth. The story is not a happy ending.
Lament of the Heroes
It was named Commonwealth because the member countries had the same vision, for development, education, trade and human rights they never imagined that they could be division, greed, corruption, gluttony , selfishness,
My heroes the Founders cry
The passed the baton to us
Now they are crying
Not tears of joy and happiness
Tears of sorrow and pain
Pain that is heart wrenching,
Pain of deep loss, of losing something very precious
They trusted us with a vision
Vision too beautiful,
Like pearls given to the pigs
We trample the good down handed down to us
We call good evil and evil good
We justify our actions
No one wants to be a brother’s keeper anymore
A brother kills another, and explains that he is better because of skin colour
Another brother holds onto the past and manipulates another because of skin colour
One blames the other for their struggles, no one is accountable
Black, Brown, White we are all against one another yet each race would always justify their actions of the wrong done against another
Where is the Love, unity
Leaders do not lead by Grace, corruption is rife with no one to be held accountable, too much blood shed, Lust for power has hardened hearts
What does this do to future leaders
Global warming is up and continuing
Instead of trying to curb it, greed is continually being fed, destroying forests, overfishing, failure to keep the land and water bodies clean
Whom will we pass the baton to if we kill the earth
I envisioned so much for the future when we commemorated the day Commonwealth was founded I was the narrator, I was in primary school a standard 4 pupil. Decades had passed but what I said still echo in my heart and mind, I believe it is the reason I am not comfortable with what is happening in these present times.