War on Silence (I)

When they came for the Irish, Blacks and Jews I
remained silent. You see, I was yet to be born.
And when it happened again I was too young

and - waiting to go into college. Later when they
jailed anti-war protestors, waiting to become a doctor I
still could not speak out. And when the Twin Towers

fell and they pulled Muslim, Sikh and Turkish students
from my classroom, without tenure and vulnerable I
remained silent. And when they came for my colleagues

tenured but waiting to become dean or provost, I
would not speak out. And when they again started to shut
down universities, steal elections, assassinate, detain

torture and make wars without cause it was too late. I
could not speak. I did not know how. I had lost my
tongue. So when they finally came for me, I

could not scream, there was no one left to hear me. “You
see” they said as they pulled out my eyes, “You! So mute
and silent, how can you be trusted to keep your eyes closed?


Mukoma Ngugi