Reminiscences From A Pen

Here is a poem from Abera Jembere’s book, Agony in the Grand Palace, published in 2003 by shama books where the author reminiscences the horror he’s seeen when the Derg took measure against Emperor Haile Selassie I and his 60 other officials in 1974.Ironically, the book was translated into English by Dr. Hailu Araya, who today in his turn  ‘languishing’ in Kaliti prison along with other CUD leaders.The message seems aptly relevant to today’s context.

While the text in the book was translated  by Dr. Haylu, the translator of this poem is some one else, Dr. Yonas Admasu.Here it goes.

Bid that day return, my dear, dear pen;

To draw the veil on the secrecy

Surrounding those who languished in prison

And those who died in vain

Thier only sin being thier national dedication.

Do not atrophy now, my dear pen

Do not be discomposed at this hour

Commit to the paper the suffering in that dark chamber

Announce to the world all the unbearable torture

Borne by all in the dampness of that dark duneon.

Summon up that fateful week of Hamle

When torrents of blood

Out of many a decent heart flowed

And by the horror of strangulation

The life and grace of a pious patriach was denied.

Why, crude vengeance and susutained rancor

Have become but second nature

In this our land, to this our culture

Where it’s law to kill, incarcerate, or torture

Down one goverment, rises up another

What blemish our histrory was made to sustain

In that frigtful era of  the Derg

With thousands of intellectuals vanishing and banished

And a thousand-fold of tender youth slain.

This is but a preface to the history

Of the anguish and suffering of our martyrs.

Leave it to the historians to supply the rest

For future generations to learn and never forget.