Back In The Day
I
A man happily roamed the forests of Juffureh
Looking for wood to make a djembe.
Dew glistened on the grass, croaking frogs filled the air,
And hungry vultures circled overhead.
How did it come to this?
Naked, chained, and shackled,
Gasping for air in the darkness,
Madness, the English say. Utter madness.
II
Countless West Africans
Set sail for foreign shores, seeking a new land.
The dinghies rock, the nights are black –
We hear sharks encircling the dead.
III
Beneath the ocean floor, residing in solemn silence,
Slaves who succumbed to the perilous journey,
They cannot fathom the cries of drowning migrants,
They are astounded.
How a people once ferried across the seas
Now force themselves upon colonial masters,
Risking their lives and more, yet are unwelcome,
Except through brutal means.