An American Scholar once said "The only thing Americans know about Somalia is Black Hawk Down" and I add the only thing George Bush knows about moslems is September Eleven and he lumped us with the terrorists who slammed planes on the walls of WTO. That is why warlords whom we know as Dogs of War have been let loose with American support to devour on us like hungry foxes. Sterotype is no good although we have our share of extremists who are suspected to have links with Alqaeda.

In America our name is not so good simply because it evokes unpleasant thoughts in the mind of the American. But it is We Somalis who should scratch that itch from the American mind but without the help of the Americans we can not do much. Both sides should refill this trench with sands of tolerance.

In this poem I depict the real picture of Somalia which has been shaping up over a period of time, say, since the pullout of US/UN forces from Somalia in 1993.

In Somalia
Arms trafficking is a lucrative business
Stray rockets land on residential areas
There is a flourishing kidnap syndicate
Dumping of nuclear waste is quite rampant
Bombs explode any minute on the roadside
Boat tragedy is rife as sea travel is perilous
Fleeing by land is no good option either
As fire rages in all corners of Somalia
Danger is the only provider of safety
Only the hand of God can scoop them all

In Somalia
The waterways are the most unsafe in the world
Sea piracy reached unbelievably shocking levels
An average of two vessels are seized a day
Thousands die as ramson negotiations are underway


In Somalia
Human tragedy is a trade many profit from
Interest groups exploit peoples sufferings
In the shadow of strife they are milking chaos

In Somalia
The government is dying in the hands of its midwife
The borders are porous with no soldier to guard
It has many doors without having a door
of its own
Anyone, be him a thief or a priest, can slip in
It is a forest that gives shelter to all game
It is accused of being a terrorist safe haven
It is a victim of September eleven
Warlords have raped this noble virgin
They tattered it into pieces of clan fiefdoms
They made Somalia a crime industry in Africa