ADWA

You asked me about the war of Adwa,

I asked if you had forgotten that

The thief only came to steal, to kill, and to destroy.

You asked me about how we lost ourselves

I asked you if you have forgotten how

Like a plaque, they have coerced us to let go of ourselves?

Altering our culture and religion

And holding us in captivity like the Israelites

In the hands of the Egyptians.

I spoke truth:

Truth be told this is not a fairytale

It only happened 126 years ago

That when told,

It sounds so fiction in your ears.

Unlike Moses, our savior did not come with a rod, he was

Chaperoned by his youthful brother.

But are histories not stories?

The legend of how traditional warriors

farmers, and pastoralists

As well women conquered a well-armed

And highly apt alien troops in the northern town of Adwa, Ethiopia

Adwa still stands as a testament

To what Africans can do when we reach jointly as one

Today I remind you about not only the victory of Emperor Menelik

And the populace of Ethiopia

But I am painting you an illustration of an everlasting ink

How Adwa veered around into the symbol of redemption

And liberation for the whole of Africa