Oh! My home, the country of my ancestors
You have so much in me
And I have so much in you
All the creatures are praising you
I can smile your sense
Oh! My home country, I was born and never enjoyed your sweetness
I was forced to leave you and never returned
I left as if I were going to return the next day
I cried, but no one wash off my tears
Oh! my home country, if there is something I can remember about you
The last sound of your lovely whistle of the sweet song
The rhyme touched my soul, but I couldn't sing with you
My soul was weak to follow the rhyme
Oh! my home country, who shall I blame for this separation?
I was isolated from you before I smiled the earth
I knew I was not going to be around all my adult life
Through that long lonely life, I can still remember your name
Monday, August 3, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
FAR BEHIND ME, THE COUNTRY OF MY ANCESTORIES
I left as if I were going to come back the next day. My parents gave the love the a parent can give to their love child. I thought I was going hurting as I usually do during the season. My sister packed up a load of simsim,groundnut, and wheat flour. I was in the cattle camp before I received a news that I will be leaving because my life was at risk. It was a chilly season, we just returned from the river side where we stayed with the cattle during the summer. As we arrived home, I was told that the government of Sudan ran by Islamic dictator was going to wage a huge war again young people in South Sudan.The SPLM was fighting the government because Southerners were dennied education, freedom of religious, clean water, infrastructures, and even basic farming equipment. So the war was getting intense. Our journey started at 6:00AM before the sun start fighting its way west.
I came to Wangulei, a local town in our village. It is a place where everyone comes for justic and or social gatherings. It's a place in which tradittional dancing activities are perform. It's a place where people come to buy salt, pepper, soap and clothes. It is a place where cattlekeepers come to buy wine. This small city was very crucial historically to our people including me who didn't know the meaning of life back then. I was a young boy whose life was devoted to taking care of the cattle. I didn't wasting my time paying attention about what was going on in the village. I enjoyed spending time with my lovely cows. There was nothing more important to me than making sure my cows were happy about the condition where the were living on.
So, than come the time of departing; my sister was sent to come to take me to the town because it was time to leave. As I arrived in the town, I noticed eveyone who my age overflooded the town. I said, "Lucky I, had I refused not to go, I couldn't have had anybody to play with me."
More than 400 boys and girls took off with few elders who were guiding us because noon of us had ability to deal with any hardship we might face on the way. We walked for seven days before we hit the desert. It's the desert the links Bor and Murle. Anyone who come to that desert was counted dead. It was considered as gangs territory. We were nervious because we thought we would be killed by the Murle gangs. We remembered few years Murle came to our village to attack. So, we had a clear idea that they will kill us when they see us.
Lucky, we were travelling with fifty SPLA/M soldiers. Commander Kuol Manyang authorized Sargeant Chol to be in charge of the trip. So, we realized we were safe than we thought. However, there was another diaster waiting to take our lives away. We left Ajagar, a local town in Bor South at 4:00PM. We were told that we will be travelling at night time because we might be thirty and die because we had only one water tank. That tank wasn't big enough to carry adequate water for all of us. The night was so beautiful and look so gracious. We lined up and headed west.
We walked as if we were matching on the war front. We were so energized and enjoyed walk. However, thing didn't always went well, those who were tired would cut the line and let those who were behind the line to run so bad when they realized they were left behind. They soldiers would start beating people to run so that we can reach those who went far ahead. It was their job to make sure on child was left behind in the desert. Commander Kuol ordered them to make sure we arrive in Ethiopia safely. Our military base was in Ethiopia. So, we were going to Ethiopia to go to school and also come back to Sudan to fight radical Islamic militants in Sudan.
So, the night went smoothly. We arrived at a flat land near by a place called Kactong at 7:00AM. Our watertank was waiting on the muddy roadside. We were so happied because we made it through the desert without hearing any gun shot. So, we start getting water from the tank. At 11:00AM, we started moving on. Ten miles later, we arrived in Kactong. There were about 14 trees in Kactong. So we started marking them for shelter. Chosed one hug tree, I didn't know the name of that tree. But goog enough to stay under it because the sun was so hungry and seem as if it was about to revenge. At 12 noon, of the elder who among us told us not to eat simsim because it is not good when it is sunny day. We cooked sorgum with beans. After we finished eating,Bul Biar started contributing water among us. No one among us had brought any water early from the watertank. We thought, it's was not going to be that bad. Only Bul Biar, a senior elder who was with us. We shared that little water among ourselves.
At 3:00PM, a whistle went off. It was a usual sound soldiers make to aware everyone that it is time to move on. So, we started packing our stuff. No one knew there will be no water for next two hours. So, we thought, there will be water on the way. At we walked for fifty miles, the sun was over 120 degree. So hard and even green grasses would sound as if they were roasted when stepping on them. Around 4:00PM, people started losing control because everyone was thirty. The guy in charge of the trip was crying because he couldn't help. There was only one tank that had already been used early. He tried to drive back and fort to recue people, but there was no space on the tank to carry those who were not able to walk. The was a small hole with mud in it, people started dipping in and others started drinking mud.
Lucky enough, my friends and I were not so much thirty becuase we did have some water early. So, the only way for us to get out of that tragedy was to keep running. I could feel I was tired, but didn't give up because to rest, means collapsing. So, my friend, Pajok Arok enouraged me to be strong stick with him. He was older than me. So, he knew what could be helpful to us to do. At 6:00PM we made to Pachabol. There was hug river there. We felt right in the water and started drinking like a hunting dog.
Posted by Bol Bul at 3:55 PM
I came to Wangulei, a local town in our village. It is a place where everyone comes for justic and or social gatherings. It's a place in which tradittional dancing activities are perform. It's a place where people come to buy salt, pepper, soap and clothes. It is a place where cattlekeepers come to buy wine. This small city was very crucial historically to our people including me who didn't know the meaning of life back then. I was a young boy whose life was devoted to taking care of the cattle. I didn't wasting my time paying attention about what was going on in the village. I enjoyed spending time with my lovely cows. There was nothing more important to me than making sure my cows were happy about the condition where the were living on.
So, than come the time of departing; my sister was sent to come to take me to the town because it was time to leave. As I arrived in the town, I noticed eveyone who my age overflooded the town. I said, "Lucky I, had I refused not to go, I couldn't have had anybody to play with me."
More than 400 boys and girls took off with few elders who were guiding us because noon of us had ability to deal with any hardship we might face on the way. We walked for seven days before we hit the desert. It's the desert the links Bor and Murle. Anyone who come to that desert was counted dead. It was considered as gangs territory. We were nervious because we thought we would be killed by the Murle gangs. We remembered few years Murle came to our village to attack. So, we had a clear idea that they will kill us when they see us.
Lucky, we were travelling with fifty SPLA/M soldiers. Commander Kuol Manyang authorized Sargeant Chol to be in charge of the trip. So, we realized we were safe than we thought. However, there was another diaster waiting to take our lives away. We left Ajagar, a local town in Bor South at 4:00PM. We were told that we will be travelling at night time because we might be thirty and die because we had only one water tank. That tank wasn't big enough to carry adequate water for all of us. The night was so beautiful and look so gracious. We lined up and headed west.
We walked as if we were matching on the war front. We were so energized and enjoyed walk. However, thing didn't always went well, those who were tired would cut the line and let those who were behind the line to run so bad when they realized they were left behind. They soldiers would start beating people to run so that we can reach those who went far ahead. It was their job to make sure on child was left behind in the desert. Commander Kuol ordered them to make sure we arrive in Ethiopia safely. Our military base was in Ethiopia. So, we were going to Ethiopia to go to school and also come back to Sudan to fight radical Islamic militants in Sudan.
So, the night went smoothly. We arrived at a flat land near by a place called Kactong at 7:00AM. Our watertank was waiting on the muddy roadside. We were so happied because we made it through the desert without hearing any gun shot. So, we start getting water from the tank. At 11:00AM, we started moving on. Ten miles later, we arrived in Kactong. There were about 14 trees in Kactong. So we started marking them for shelter. Chosed one hug tree, I didn't know the name of that tree. But goog enough to stay under it because the sun was so hungry and seem as if it was about to revenge. At 12 noon, of the elder who among us told us not to eat simsim because it is not good when it is sunny day. We cooked sorgum with beans. After we finished eating,Bul Biar started contributing water among us. No one among us had brought any water early from the watertank. We thought, it's was not going to be that bad. Only Bul Biar, a senior elder who was with us. We shared that little water among ourselves.
At 3:00PM, a whistle went off. It was a usual sound soldiers make to aware everyone that it is time to move on. So, we started packing our stuff. No one knew there will be no water for next two hours. So, we thought, there will be water on the way. At we walked for fifty miles, the sun was over 120 degree. So hard and even green grasses would sound as if they were roasted when stepping on them. Around 4:00PM, people started losing control because everyone was thirty. The guy in charge of the trip was crying because he couldn't help. There was only one tank that had already been used early. He tried to drive back and fort to recue people, but there was no space on the tank to carry those who were not able to walk. The was a small hole with mud in it, people started dipping in and others started drinking mud.
Lucky enough, my friends and I were not so much thirty becuase we did have some water early. So, the only way for us to get out of that tragedy was to keep running. I could feel I was tired, but didn't give up because to rest, means collapsing. So, my friend, Pajok Arok enouraged me to be strong stick with him. He was older than me. So, he knew what could be helpful to us to do. At 6:00PM we made to Pachabol. There was hug river there. We felt right in the water and started drinking like a hunting dog.
Posted by Bol Bul at 3:55 PM
Home Country
Oh! My home, the country of my ancestors
You have so much in me
And I have so much in you
All the creatures are prasing you
I can smile you sense
Oh! My home country, I was born and never enjoyed your sweetness
I was forced to leave you and never returned
I left as if I were going to return the next day
I cried,but no one wash off my tears
Oh! my home country, if there is something I can remember about you
The last sound of your lovely whistle of the sweet song
The rthme tourched my soul, but I couldn't sing with you
My soul was weak to follow the rthme
Oh! my home country, who shall I blame for this separation?
I was isolated from you before I smiled the earth
I knew I was not going to be around all my adult life
Through that long lonely life, I can still remember your name
You have so much in me
And I have so much in you
All the creatures are prasing you
I can smile you sense
Oh! My home country, I was born and never enjoyed your sweetness
I was forced to leave you and never returned
I left as if I were going to return the next day
I cried,but no one wash off my tears
Oh! my home country, if there is something I can remember about you
The last sound of your lovely whistle of the sweet song
The rthme tourched my soul, but I couldn't sing with you
My soul was weak to follow the rthme
Oh! my home country, who shall I blame for this separation?
I was isolated from you before I smiled the earth
I knew I was not going to be around all my adult life
Through that long lonely life, I can still remember your name
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
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