In the Swiss built hospital of SOS in Mogadishu an ugly incident happened several months back. A doctor saved a pregnant women by removing her womb. Her husband demanded compensation for the loss as he claimed that he did not authorize the doctor to take such action. But the doctor insisted that without the removal of the already ruptured womb, the life of the patient wouldn't have been saved. This has led to closure of hospital. The city grew tense. No where women could receive services free of charge other than SOS hospital. Some women died while impasse was being dealt with. Other pregnant mothers lived with worry and tremendous emotional stress as they didn't know where they would go if time came to deliver the baby. When the case was settled, nobody apologized to these mothers and the general public. In this short poem, the womb gives an apology to the people especially families who lost mothers. It also apologizes to mothers who underwent emotional pain as a result of the hospital closure.
I am An organ. An organ I am
Just an organ albeit important
I am a womb. A ruptured womb I am
From inside my owner I was removed
Gates of trouble were flung open
The steam of bitter row boiled over
compensation demanded
Explanation denied
Doctors drowned in the depths of fear
Hospital services forcefully suspended
Poor mothers became a statistic
Clerics of Islamic courts intervened
With cash payment case was settled
But no one took the blame
No party apologized to public
Nobody sympathized with the mothers
Nobody comforted the braved families
Tears of pain dried in their eyes
I'm sorry. So sorry I am
Brothers and sisters
People of Mogadishu
Please accept my apology
I'm the cause of this trouble
I'm the cause of this misery
Abdi-Noor Haji Mohamed (Eagle Of Hope)
Copyright ©2010
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