Mezeker Means to Remember

A Poem by Michael Ellison

What does a mother do when she gives birth to a beautiful baby girl
Five hours after her brother is beaten to death for protesting against his government?

That woman, names that baby, Mezeker
because in Ethiopia's Amharic language,
Mezeker means to remember
Now remember death is a way of life
You cannot avoid strife; still the next person's struggle is so often worse

In the context of the universe is my story worth a verse?

So many races through history
attempting to erase any mystery about whom has suffered more misery.
Is it Blacks, Jews, Indians, Asians, or Caucasians?
Don't give me any idealistic crap like "There's only one human race."

This is a competition,
everybody plead your case,
someone must come in first place, right?

Wrong.

Without the grand prize for pity
I can go overseas or simply stroll through the city
to see that my standard of living is better than 9/10 of the planet,

So while I'm slamming poetry
refugees are slamming me for the opportunities that I take for granted

If indeed Blacks have suffered like no other
can I personally say I've suffered more than a 14 year-
old white Bosnian boy that promised to uphold his dead mother's final request
to protect his 10 year-old sister from the soldiers tearing her dress,
tying him up with wire,
making him watch them steal Mom's promise now he feels like a liar?
She survives the sordid assault and her first brave words for him are, "It's not your fault!"

Now that's a lot for kids to carry on their own
even if Amnesty International finds them a new home.

So no,
you will not hear me pleading my case through some self-pity,
the-world-owes-me-an-apology-and-I-refuse-to-move-on, poem.
Not as long as Mezeker means millions around the globe seeking peace
are still killed in the streets then displayed like mannequins in the mall
so that all who once shopped for freedom stare in awe
at raw flesh being torn from bones by scavengers from the sky
as people wonder why are all the protestors that were standing up
just standing bye?

Why?

A dead man will make the living think a little deeper:
"Freedom may cost me my life and right now oppression is much cheaper."

So when you hear bloody butchers on a loud speaker scream,
"Join us or join him - going once, going twice!"
As a nation of consumers you know
smart shoppers buy based on the best price.

Mezeker means to remember

and I cannot forget that seven-year olds in Saigon sweat
so I can buy the clothes they construct but cannot afford.
Let's be honest, my sneakers alone cost more than their room and board

Mezeker means the poor from Pennsylvania to Singapore
sing a poor rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
because they cannot see one through clouds of industrial smoke

Mezeker means malnourished kids
with visible ribs never make fat jokes
but they don't have much sympathy for any of us
on the latest celebrity diet?

Mezeker means most of us should try it
before telling a teen taking care of six siblings
that selling crack isn't worth the risk
Now go on back to the project
rats and roaches
and just wait until opportunity approaches,
know this,

you cannot avoid strife; still the next person's life is so often worse

In the context of the universe your story is worth a verse
but Mezeker means to remember.