Watchman — Shehu El-Hafiz

You there, with sharps eyes
Peering into the dark:
What do you see —
Is it the emaciated ants
Or those belching rats and rats?
And listening with pricked ears:
Do you not her the groans
And jeering guffaw from velvety voices?
You there, with heart
Boiling and slamming and flutter-
ing:
Splintered soul down the drain!

Peer well, and see
Filled-out cheeks joyfully necking
Listen well, and hear giggles
Amidst compliment and pleasant-
ries.

And while this amorous intercourse rages on
You stand outside alone and dispir-
ited
Peering and listening and sighing
With mosquitoes singing merrily about you.
Then realisation comes crashing in:
"Here now I am, a hanger-on, keep-
ing vigil
On fat fattened on the loot of state…".