Somalia's Future

I am a Man without a Country, I am the most hospitable bum. No credibility, no degree.
The dirt roads when I was younger raised me. My people... please praise me.
I am a soul that is empty, hollow like the barrel of a gun.
I am filled with so much fire inside, so much beauty truly. On the outside I am dark and coal-like.
I guess you can say I am the Diamond in the rough. I am Patrice, I am Che, I am Martin, I am Malcolm.
I am all that, but I want to be more.
Growing up I wanted to be like Mike,
But since I have grown up I want to be like Sallalaahu-Calayhi-Wasalli

m.
I have dreams to reach farther than my dwellings,
Enough to stir a revolution so the silent majority can start rebelling.
Despite all of the bullet shellings, streets filled with bodies smelling,
we have endured and survived our doomed foretelling.
Yes our story is very compelling, but all praise is due to Allah for us excelling.
-------------------------

- Hashim
3/22/10

Hooyo

Ammi, Madre, Mama, this is for you Hooyo,
For you we’ll always be so loyal.
Even though you are a Queen, you’re more than royal.
You have done everything to make us the best, your hard work I won’t spoil.
My love for you goes deeper than the earth’s soil, and richer than its oil…..
Oh, the days have come and gone, and the time has flown.
From youth hood to adulthood, you are all we have known.
Your children are now grown, and almost all on their own.
You gave us the freedom to roam as long as we did not do things you would not condone,
If we have hooyo, we will sure soon atone.
Still we leave you not alone,
Your phone is still labeled Home - to show that we still acknowledge your throne.
Your closer to us than our bone, in our hearts you are sewn.
Words can’t describe you, not even thousands of poems.

Hashim S.
12/29/09

Rise up Africans

I'm not a poet, call me a word mechanic.
Thoughts is trans-atlantic,
At times my words can be frantic; volcanic; sorta schizophrenic.
But I got it under control, dont panic.
Listen up to this 'Afro-America', even if u cant stand it.
Hear it loud and clear.
Open up your ears, free them from suspicion.
Food for thought, take it as nutrition.
I'm not really here to put you at a disposition,
but I can if i have to, if you don't listen.
Its my ambition to break you out of your oh-so comfortable position,
And teach you the current state and history of the this red, white and blue tradition.
Get your pencil and papers out, this schools free of tuition.
They not tellin you what's correct.
Look at the signs and try to connect,
Dont be like the others who try to neglect.
Try to retain dignity and self respect.
Because we've been at the bottom for so long,
Longing for home since Marcus, yeah its definitely been so long.
We reminisce on the days of Mansa and how we used to be so strong.
If you ask me, assimilation has took its toll on the people of the continent.
Without consent, they've erased our cultures and descent.
Kinda funny how through all this torment,
A couple of programs, and all of a sudden we became content.
DISCRIMINATION STILL EXISTS.
RACISM STILL EXISTS.
Ohh... The Lies they invent.
Yeah Barack is President,
Yet...We're still at the bottom like cement,
And STILL get the littlest percent.
We're at the lowest of lows.
We've got to grow.
Out of this concrete like Tupac's rose.
Even in this darkness, our faces still glow.
Every dog has his day is how the saying goes,
I guess no one can have everyday I suppose.
We remain average joe's,
Fit in average clothes,
Oppressed.......
Not like they did to Martin and his protests,
But Somebody should turn the knob, or we'll bust out this hose.
If not, I feel like one day we'll expode.
With the current, like a river...... we should flow.
Joining the ocean to release, cleanse ourselves from our head to our toes.
Clean the blood sweat and tears is a debt to our ancestors that we owe.
People of color need to wake up, it's a nightmare, not a dream.
The American dream is not what it seems.
Unless you want to head to your own mental and spiritual foreclosure,
Don't fall into its scheme.
Try to fight it and they'll label you extreme.
These traps are set to benefit only the corruptest regimes.

- Hashim S.
12/22/09
Copyright © 2009

I bleed Somalia

Remembering the victims of 12/03/09!

Horrifying thoughts coming to my mind
Limbs that resembles our tone, or close to it, scattered on Mother’s floor
Sometimes I wonder why we are so blind.
Staggering as it may seem,
We still can raise the white star in the middle
And be proud to say through it all, I will bleed Somali blue
Even though that should not be the price of being Somali’s or its membership due.
Hoping the intellectual and logical ones prevail in this war -
This war of winning the hearts and minds of our youth,
We should come up on top if we hold steady with the truth.
Hoping our existence stays afloat,
Not under the rubbles piled up by tyranny.
Thus together we must stand up daringly,
And show we are stronger than them, than this.
Waging war against ignorance.
This is a tumultuous battle,
You can hear it in the streets; they report everyday that poor Mogadishu still rattles.
Twenty darn years and the white star still remains in the middle.
A little raggedy now and bullet riddled.
In your heart, Can you feel it?
Thump thump… Thump
There is yet life, but it’s feeble.
I’m wondering what it’s going to take to resurrect our people?
Wishing we can shine like the moon
Or even brighter.
Hoping one day our future does not rely anymore on violently inclined fighters.
But before we win, we have to bleed Somali Blue.
On December 3rd, 2009 – those graduating students (AUN) bled Somali Blue.
I wonder how many more casualties before you do too.

-- Dec 10th, 2009 02:29EST

Hashim Siraji
Copyright © 2009