Pen Slum

P
eople with the voice, is what they see,
Voices of the people, is what they don't heed,
They chained our doors, but forgot our thoughts,
Today am here, please try to adhere,
To the voices of the people, don't look at the people with the voice

E
xperiences that we go through, they say it can't be true,
Yet we live below a dollar, to them it can be impossible under the solar,
Amongst us are financial controllers, but they insist they are still in control,
Life here is apart, life there is at par,
So life can't be like hell, if only they stop being cruel,

N
ever heard the police, arrest sons of `pot bellies`,
But run us the streets, and make our hearts` get no beat,
Yes, leave but they cant, before a toy gun they plant,
Oh! No!, we are humans`, oops! Where do you live you humans?,
Please stop this cuffs, it's not a bluff-it's enough

S
uppressed are we for how long?, tell us-it wont take a day long,
We suffer under the living standards, while U promised better living stands
When will the abuse stop, don't U think we need a hand from the top?
Stigmatization of where we are from!, is that much to ask for,
am not a beer actor, it's just the fear factor

L
et us show our positivity, why dwell on the negativity,
If I live in a slum, it doesn't mean am dumb,
Am also a person, try to show us passion,
Not if I say where I come from, the myth is am a crook in short form,
So try to reform, cause we'll shout in unison

U
nder us, provide medication for us,
Not if we ask, we have to bribe-that's a hard task
When we don't react, you leave us to see the cask,
May I say it's a must, cause if it were U-you would have burst
Prevention shouldn't be a hard task, or will it if I may ask?

M
y dear, U don't have the Idea
If only you could spare, we know for U its hard to share,
But down lower your Bragg without despair, would U dare?
That's why am putting with pen the slum
Call it if you can -the pen slum

* Bonface Ochieng Owuor is a Kenyan poet.

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