Eyes

you stare astounded at my own astonished eyes.
for once, at last, we see.
soon, to feuds and warring clans,
may come this antidote more radical than guns,
more mind-blowing than drugs,
more harrowing,
truly more harrowing - and

yet

nothing more drastic than truly to see the enemy
and his blood; simply to look unblinkingly -
not through our usual black-and-white filters -
but to stare astounded. to stare, and stare until
the truth of sight becomes a mirror to our soul.
until we feel the mettle of his blues,
read his face’s panoply of hues,
his draining pools of dreams, and the
running
streaks of tears and rust…

so that when his blood
comes spurting redly at our thrust
we cannot look
away. no. and we will own his pain as

well

© Chuma Nwokolo, Jr (2008)

Please see:

Chuma Nwokolo Jnr's website

Chuma Nwokolo Jnr's books available on Amazon

Chuma Nwokolo at African-Writer.com

Chuma is both a founder member, and editor, of the prestigious literary magazine: African-Writing.com