POEMS FROM THE OLDER GENERATION

Poems from the Older Generation


Laureate Tsegaye Gebre Medhin (1967)

VOW

As long as there are morning birds,
To fill the air with songs
As long as there are folk tales
To be told by the fire side
As long as there are offsprings
To kick and riot with joy
I shall bathe in the shimmer of the moon
I shall inherit the sun
I shall follow the rainbow trail.

Baalu Girma (1959)
CROWS

Crows from the south, west and east
Gather round the kitchen for a morning feast
Nature gave them right to share
the crows considered this unfair.
The dove and the sparrows got their alright,
And went their way, content and quiet.
For the crows nothing is enough
Nothing is fair, all is rough.
Crows must have all things their way,
And leave the rest astray.
Over matters trivial they croak and moan,
And make mountains of a mole.
Contented they need fly up and pray
And keep their tempers and dirty play.



Eshetu Chole (1967)

SILENCE

Silence
Is like Infinity
Majestic
Its depth unsurpassed
By talk-glib, gossip, proud talk
And other human trash.

Silence is beauty;
For truth is silent
And truth, they say, is beauty

Silence is peace--
Peace absolute
Peace consuming.

Silence is joy
Unparalleled
Undiluted by the cheapness of our lives.

A tear is silent
A smile is silent
And is too silent.

And death is silent
Oh! If only life were
As pure as silence.




Shiferaw Asfaw (1968)

" "

Yes, between Today's dim light
And Tomorrow's complete darkness
I am.
Rolling naked on a cold wave
Of a vast, indifferent ocean
I live
To observe
My fellow man drown.



Tamru Gobena (1960)
THE SUNSHINE

The sun shines bright , they say
After a rainy day:
Behold the shooting of the bay
As if it came to say.

O yesterday was grim and cold
Like a rainy day
Yet today is so fresh though old
Older than yesterday.

Yesterday was so dim and dull;
Bleak was life with me:
But yet today I sleep and lull
Though busy as a bee.



Behold that poor old man:
So cold is life with him
But yesterday the Sun did tan
His skin. His fill was to the brim,
Day doth follow night.
And night doth follow day;
Darkness doth follow light
And so we drift away.

to be continued