The clinking toward an adventure.
The door latch of an old manor
to enter an obscure maze
and defy the legend.
A basement with tombs
and oubliettes.
And a dart
to meet
death.
REMEMBER RUBEN
Sons of peasants
Insolent and craving
For Grandeur, nay for
Moneys
Trampling to death,
Proud, oh! Too proud
To see death beside
Just waiting the
Hour.
Sons of
Officers and officials
Pale, empty, worldly
Certificates at shaky hand
Oubliettes, wine and whores
They prefer to our flags
And behind they lag, rank
Commandoes
Devouring and
Devoured
Forgetting the killing
Diseases
Aids!
Senegalese riflemen
Chadians of early sacrifices
Heroes of the resistance
Past warriors
Who for freedom died
Here or there
Remember Ruben,
Ouandié Ernest
Manga Bell
Martin Paul Samba
Félix Roland Moumié
Njoya
Ahidjo
Who said that these
Were not brave?
Let new heroes emerge
From the North
In Fotokol
And Kolofata
Let heroes come home
Singing our national anthem
O thou land of our fathers!
The threshold of my Rubicon,
a thousand times been crossed!
For though I've lost I've also won
at such a dire cost.
Locked inside my oubliette,
covered in frost, I cannot feel.
I pace and fret, and shan't forget-
I'm but a cog in a greater wheel...
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