Why Oh Africa

Oh Africa, my Africa You have the birthmark of civilisation But shaped like a question mark of nations Asking us why we flee When we claim to be free Your skies are the earth's brightest But your land swallows the most innocent If the wounds of slavery have healed Why do we still run for the hills? Those you gave us to lead Have abandoned us to bleed They dig your land for mass graves They trade your stones for blood shed My Africa, you are the pain under the headdress on a woman My Africa, you are an empty bowl in the hands of the poor My Africa, you are the empty words of a politician My Africa, you are sailing and lost on the Mediterranean What happened to your drums of victory? What happened to the pride of your history? We remember your dream on the 25th of May And forget about it on the next day Oh Africa, my Africa