PEACE-TALK II: Title: You smile, I frown. You cry, I laugh
By Abdulrazaq O Hamzat

You frown, when I smile
I laugh, when you cry
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I don’t want you frowning
You don’t want me laughing
But we can’t stop smiling and laughing
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Why do you frown, when I smile?
Aren’t you supposed to smile with me?
Why do I laugh, when you cry?
Aren’t I supposed to feel your pains?
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Oh, I should have known
Not my smile, made you frown
But my selfishness and lack of consideration
Oh yes, I am not laughing because you cry
But because I am not the victim
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Terrorist are killing people in the North
You smile, they are killing themselves
Ipob were murdered in the South
I laugh, it’s good for them
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Why should I smile with you
When people are murdered by terrorists?
Why should you laugh with me
When people are murdered extra-judicially?
Why should we smile and laugh
When our fellow country people are victims?
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I am, because we are
So says an African proverb
Only if we laugh together
Can laughter make meaning
Injury to one, they is an injury to all
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Please don’t smile, when we are to frown
And don’t laugh, when we are to cry
Sometimes, crying together
Can be sweeter than laughing alone
And laughing alone, can be painful than frowning together.
If we can both cry and frown together
Certainly, we shall laugh and smile together.

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