Poem:
Broken


SA called me broken
Broken like my pencils
In 'Akara' school
One minute sharp
Next minute broken, again.

I was offended at first
A harmless discourse
Via an internet chat
Where words are fists
And nothing but egos bleeds.

If he had sat close to me
Called me broken
I'm sure he would think
And think
And select his words
Carefully.

Countries apart
He called me broken
Simply because we shared
Different views
His conclusion: I was confused.

Our points collided
Our aim shattered
His perceived harmless
Opinion
Paved the way to pen this poem.

A personal analysis showed me
I'm broken because I showed him me
He saw past my clout
The internet happy chap
Banters laden with
Happy sarcasms
He saw past all that.

He saw a youth, broken
Like Stephen after he died
Probably thinking God is coming
Like Titanic's Jack's ghost
Realizing love, is nothing.

I'm broken like these bottles
Broken with a sharp edge
I touch you, I hurt you
It's not my fault
I'm that broken.

I'm broken like a poor Dad
On Christmas season
Neighbors' kids flashing
New things, foods, chickens
He tries to stay strong
Then he sees his kid's face.

Broken as my thoughts
When schools resumes
And these fees
I don't know how
I'll get them.

Broken like a man
Sweated through school
But can't even make
Ends meet
Decides to rob
And gets nabbed on his
First day on the road. I'm

Broken like a believer
Who never questions
Swallows everything
His religious leaders says
His religious books says
About what his God says
And then his God fails
To save what he adores most;
Broken.

Or maybe I'm not that kind of broken
Not broken enough to
Self destruct
Broken in a societal way
I don't even know how broken I am
That's how broken I am.


©Jigs Lionheart
02-01-2019