By Birmajii Dhaabaa

I Stand Strong

I stood up when my father was gunned down
I stood up when my house was burned down
I stood up when my sister was raped in front of my eyes
I stood up and watched blood tears coming down my mom’s eyes

Still, I am standing straight and stronger than ever
However, my heart is still full of pain
Watching my father’s last breath
Remembering my sisters scream and feeling helpless
The image of that day will never be erased out of my mind

It was painful losing everything we had and living in a small hut
It was painful growing up fatherless
It was even more painful seeing the pain in my sister’s and my mom’s eyes

Death that took my father away at the young age,
Could not find me when I was in deep pain
It was insane going through such experience at the young age

But the way my father died,
The way my sister was rapped, and
The tears that goes down my mom’s eyes
On a daily basis, wouldn’t let me sit.

It’s burning from inside of me
Like gas depot that caught a fire
It sparks through my eyes
Every time I remember,
It was September 1994,
Four days before my dad’s 36th b-day
On this day Sept. 18, I stay up all night and cry
When most people sleep
It is deep but this paper can’t tell the whole story
I am sorry,
But the frustration and the pain won’t let me write the whole history

My eye is full of tears,
My heart is full of pain
My mind is full of image
That won’t let me sleep

I am the son of the true brave
That is now in grave but still fighting
I am the son of a loving father
That has to carry pain and pride on the same shoulder

I am fatherless
I am homeless
I am a son with house full of pain
I am a son with big dream but crushed by an enemy
You know what thou, it’s not the end of me,
I won’t give up my dream, I will fight harder,
Take my time and become stronger

I am still standing straight and stronger than ever
However, it’s still so painful to live with such experience,
I swear if it wasn’t for my dad’s last word
That has been pushing me forward,
I don’t know where I would be.

It sparked something in me
I hope it will spark you too
As much as it sparked me

If spark you, and you spark the next person,
And the next person sparks the next person
I will become we, we will become a nation
Before you know it we will spark nation
That is ready for self determination

It will continue………….